Sacrifice
by basicnsync
Summary: No one on the team would characterize Deeks as being humble, so they were all surprised when his humility resulted in him being chosen for a dangerous solo mission. But who chose him? The team races to find Deeks and save him as they are all used to solve a biochemical threat.
1. Chapter 1

The team almost made it out of the mission on time. Not like a 9 to 5 job was what any of them signed up for, but man, it was going to be nice! Callen had plans to buy flowers on the way to Jo's house and surprise her. Sam was looking forward to riding bikes with Michelle and Kam before supper, and Kensi and Deeks were almost giddy with anticipation. It was 4:48 when they each heard the chime from their inbox. Hetty was in D.C. until later that evening, and had already congratulated them on finishing up their last case. What now? Everyone groaned when they noticed the incoming message, flagged with high importance. Deeks was closest to his computer, so he said, "Taking one for the team," as he clicked it, eliciting groans from his colleagues. No one knew how prophetic Deeks' statement was.

"Sorry, but it says important!" he winced. He cleared his throat and read aloud, "I know you all are ready to leave, but there is one form that was left out of this year's team evaluation packet that you filled out last week and it is imperative. Please take just a few minutes to fill it out and send it back to me. I expect to have everyone's finished form before 6:00—no exceptions. Hetty."

"Great! Thanks a lot, Deeks. We could have all pretended we didn't see that," grumbled Sam.

"Not me. I never leave unopened emails when I go," said Callen. "Hetty would have known we ignored it on purpose."

"Let's just do it quickly," suggested Kensi. "Hey look, it's just two questions. Weird, huh?" She read, "In the case that the team had a mission requiring one member to potentially sacrifice himself/herself, list the attributes you possess that make you the best candidate for the job." Then at the bottom of the form, followed by 4 blank lines, she read, "Now rank yourself and your team members according to their overall importance to the team, with 1 being the highest."

They all opened the email on their own computer, read the sentence again, and began typing. Sam shook his head, thinking that this was hardly different from the skills inventory form they had filled out as part of the packet already. He was tempted to copy and paste one of his previous answers. He had always been confident in his abilities, and knew his physical strength was a great asset to the team.

Callen was disturbed by the word "sacrifice," knowing that becoming a sacrifice was against human nature. He rather saw himself as an agent who could get out of a jam better than most. He knew he could be calculating, unemotional, and if the situation called for it, brutal.

Kensi saw every mission as a potential sacrifice, especially as her affection had grown for her partner. She was always much more nervous for him than for herself, and suspected he felt the same. However, she was competitive and an adrenaline junkie. She loved the challenge each new case brought, and she loved having a part in bringing down bad guys. The fact that both she and Deeks were kidnapped and tortured in past missions had tempered her enthusiasm for her job with more concern than she thought she would ever feel.

Deeks saw the question much differently than the others. He was part of the team, yet they would be a team without him, too, and had been before he joined them. He believed that as far as attributes went, his were not at the same level as theirs, and he was under no delusion that they felt otherwise. What could he say that would convince anyone to choose him for a dangerous mission—even hypothetically? He sat there as the others finished and left, leaving only Kensi to pace the bullpen as she waited for him. "Hey, Energizer Bunny, how about you go to the gym and punch something while I finish? I can't think."

"All right, Monkey man," she teased. "But I am going to get hot and sweaty," she finished, biting his ear. Being here without the others was a turn-on.

"Yeah, I am counting on that," he said with a grin. Kensi wondered why he was taking so long to answer the question, but he looked so cute as he frowned and wrinkled his nose in thought, that she didn't mind.

When they made it back to his place 45 minutes later, she couldn't keep her hands off of him. Was it his sexy, plain white t-shirt? The brightness of the shirt against his tanned skin drove her insane. Endorphins from her vigorous work out? Maybe. It sure seemed to turn Deeks on when she worked up a sweat. They barely made it inside before they started pulling each other's shirts over their heads, tasting each other's skin, and letting passion consume them. Then they showered together, Deeks washing her hair, Kensi basking in the sensuality of the act. He fulfilled her every need, and the realization that he was so enthralled with her made her melt. They made love again, this time taking it slower, savoring each other's bodies, and wanting to please the other unselfishly.

"I love you, my very special agent Kensi Marie Blye," Deeks whispered. Kensi's heart raced. No games. All in. He didn't beat around the bush or make her wait and wonder how he felt. White-hot.

"I very much love you, Detective Deeks," she breathed, taking in his scent, letting him fill her senses.

Waking up the next morning, he knew he never wanted to take it for granted. He knew what it was like to wake up with longing gnawing away at his soul, and with bitterness choking out any taste of happiness. He appreciated every glorious morning waking up next to the woman he had loved and protected and loved and worked alongside and loved and sparred with and loved for years.

He carefully extricated himself from her arms so he could go for a run, thinking she would appreciate sleeping in. He dressed, then left a note for Kensi on the bathroom mirror, and closed the apartment door quietly.

It was already heating up even thought the sun was low in the sky, and Marty was glad he had not waited any longer to go out. His mind wandered as he ran a familiar route, although one he had not used in a while. This one took him seaside, and as the ocean air invigorated him, he thought of ways to enjoy the day if no case came their way. He and Kensi had not gone out of town since Christmas, so a brief getaway excited him.

Passing some buildings on the shore side, he was glad to get a brief respite from the sunlight. He suddenly felt a sting on his bare chest, then one on his neck, and could not remember seeing any bees or wasps. He was just wondering what type of insect it was when he felt another sting on his arm. He was brushing off the unseen insects when unexpectedly it seemed hard to breathe. He stopped running, and put his hands on his knees, wheezing painfully. A couple that was jogging together stopped to help him.

"Hey, are you all right?" asked the man. Deeks looked at him with obvious panic in his widening eyes, as the lack of breath started making him dizzy. The man and woman each took one of his arms, and helped lower Deeks to the sandy sidewalk. He tried to get out the word "sting" but his tongue felt so thick that he wasn't sure he could be understood.

"Did he say 'sting'?" asked the woman. "Are you allergic to bees?" Deeks couldn't remember, but his body felt heavy and stiff, making him unable to shake or nod his head.

Just then, Kensi came running up. She had awakened when she heard the apartment door close, regardless of the care Deeks had taken to be quiet. When she saw the note he had left, she decided to pull on her running gear and try to catch up to him. Seeing the growing scene at the beach, she ran over to see if she could help, only realizing who was lying on the sidewalk when she was a few yards away. "Deeks? Oh no! What's wrong?" she asked as she grabbed his hand.

"I think something stung him several times. Is he allergic to bees or anything?" asked the male jogger. Kensi could see several welts beginning to form on his chest and arms, growing puffy and red.

"No" "answered Kensi. "Deeks, can you hear me?" His eyes seemed to be begging her to help him, but he was unable to speak. She could hear a thin wheezing noise, but she could tell he was hardly getting any air. "Someone call 911!" she gasped.

As if on cue, a helicopter with a Med-Evac logo set down on the wide beach area as the crowd made room. Three EMT's with equipment and a stretcher hopped out, running over to the group, which parted as they came near.

One of them talked to the joggers while the other two tended to Deeks, placing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, then injecting something into his thigh. As he was lifted onto the stretcher, one said, "He still isn't getting any air—we need to get him on the chopper and intubate him immediately!" With the help of some of the gathering crowd, the EMT's carried the stretcher over to the helicopter, telling Kensi to meet them at Pacific Beach Medical.

Kensi could see them tilting Deeks' head back and sliding an instrument into his open mouth before the door of the chopper closed. Then they rose in the air, banking to the left. It flashed through Kensi's mind that this was odd, since the hospital was in the other direction, but she thought maybe the helicopter needed room to clear the area before turning toward the city.

On legs that felt like jell-o, Kensi made herself run back to Deeks' apartment as she wondered what could have happened. Deeks had never been allergic to anything, and the EMT's had not even asked _her_ about that before injecting him with what she assumed was an epipen. He only had a few minutes' start on her, but the Med-Evac unit was there in no time. Someone must have been watching from the nearby buildings and phoned it in as soon as he was in distress.

However that happened, Kensi was grateful for the quick response. It was torture to hear his labored breathing and see the panic in his eyes. She ran into the apartment long enough to grab a jacket and her phone, then jumped in her car to head to the hospital. On the way, she called Hetty. "Good morning, Miss Blye! I trust you will actually relax today and not even think of coming in unless I call you."

"Hetty, listen. Deeks is being airlifted to Pacific Beach Medical. He was having some sort of allergic reaction after being stung while he was running this morning. Hetty, he couldn't breathe! They had to intubate him…I am on the way to the hospital now. It was awful!"

"I will alert the others, and we will meet you there, Miss Blye. Don't have a wreck on the way, my dear." Kensi wiped at her eyes while blowing through a red light. Thank goodness it was still early enough that rush hour traffic hadn't begun. She didn't like to panic, but Deeks was the one who usually diffused the situation and made her see the lighter side. Without him, she thought of all sorts of horrible scenarios.

As Kensi found a parking spot, she was sure she passed Hetty's car already there. It figured, since the mission was close to the hospital, and Hetty drove like a racecar driver. The doors to the ER opened, and she saw Hetty standing at the desk, apparently drilling an official from the hospital. As Kensi walked up, Hetty came forward and extended her hands to grab both of hers. The look on Hetty's face scared her. "What is it? Is he..?" Kensi stammered.

"My dear, it appears there was a mix-up. Mr. Deeks was not brought here to this hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

**_While the chopper hovered over the landing pad, Deeks found himself fighting a choking sensation as his breathing eased and he regained consciousness. He was harshly told to lie still, and he tried to relax, so as not to fight the breathing tube. The fact that he was in a helicopter told Deeks that the situation was serious, making him feel almost guilty at his quick recovery. Kensi had looked so upset, and he was sure he saw tears in her eyes. He would never want to worry her unnecessarily, and he wanted her to know that he could breathe again. The funny thing was, his thigh was throbbing. Deeks imagined they had used an epipen in his thigh, having seen this done before. He had never been allergic to anything, however, and could not figure out why his body reacted in such a way to the stings._**

 ** _When the chopper landed, the gurney was lifted out and wheeled on what he supposed was the rooftop. They entered what must be an elevator, but it was incredibly long, cold, and smelled like bananas. Strangely, the bed was wheeled to the far end of the elevator, stopped, and the medics began plugging in machines._**

 ** _Since he couldn't talk with the tube in his mouth, Deeks tried motioning with his hands, feeling sure someone had a good explanation for treating a patient in an elevator. Other people entered the elevator, but it neither went up nor down, and it was obvious they planned to stay here. When no one paid him any attention, he reached up and started pulling the tube out himself, causing him to gag._**

 ** _Roughly, two of the medics grabbed his arms and pulled them out straight on supports they unfolded from the sides of the bed, buckling them at the wrists. As they moved to his legs, he managed to kick one in the jaw and the other in the chest. One of the doctors who had just come in held up a tablet computer, telling the others, "Back off and just wait!" Suddenly, Deeks could not breathe. His chest refused to expand. He couldn't tell if the machine had been turned off, or if his diaphragm was paralyzed. He twisted as much as he could with his arms strapped down, but no one was doing anything to help him._**

 ** _Somehow in his frantic state he thought of last night, and he saw Kensi, her skin glistening with perspiration, looking absolutely breathtaking. If her perfect body could stay right in the front of his fleeting consciousness, what a way to go! His thrashing stopped._**

Are you sure you heard correctly?" asked the older woman gently.

"Yes, absolutely. This is where they told me to come. They even had a hospital decal on the helicopter. Hetty, you don't think they…went down somewhere on the way?" she finished in a whisper.

Just then, Callen and Sam walked up to them. "How is he?" asked Callen as they approached. Kensi just looked from one to the other, unable to say anything.

"We are working on getting information about his whereabouts as we speak," Hetty answered.

"So he's not in the ER? Was he admitted?" asked Sam.

"No, he was never brought here," said Kensi.

"Then where was he taken?" asked Callen, sensing the strangeness of the situation.

"We don't know," stammered Kensi.

After speaking to someone at the information desk, Hetty turned to face them. "Let's go to the office of the Med-Evac administrator. She's expecting us. Third floor." She ushered them toward the elevator as Sam grabbed Kensi's hand. Once inside, he turned to face her.

"Kensi, we will find him. Tell us what happened."

Kensi rubbed her forehead with her free hand as she tried to be calm. "I went to catch up to him on his run, and when I got to the beach, I saw a crowd gathered around someone who was laying on the walkway. I didn't realize it was Deeks until I got close. They said he was stung several times."

"Who said?" asked Callen.

"There was a man and woman jogging together who were helping him. He had welts on his chest and arm that were getting red and swelling. They looked like stings. He could hardly breathe," she said vacantly, her voice trailing off.

Sam and Callen exchanged a glance. "What else can you tell us about this couple?"

"One of the EMT's was talking to them, but they never asked me anything," said Kensi, furrowing her brow. "I thought that was weird, but I was so worried-I just stayed beside him and held his hand," she said. "I took such an effort for him to breathe. It sounded like he was breathing through a straw," she told them, tears welling in her brown eyes. "He couldn't talk at all. He looked panicked." Kensi was trying to be professional and answer questions just like she would on any other case, but the tightening in her own chest made it hard to breathe or think.

Just then, the elevator doors opened, and they found the office. Callen strode ahead of the group, and walked in with a menacing glare. "Federal agents. We need to know the location of that chopper. Now!"

"That's just it," stammered the administrator, hanging up the phone. "None of our Med-Evac units have lifted off today at all." Her statement was greeted with blank stares. "All of the hospitals in the area use the same base—where they take the patient depends on the location of the incident and the type of emergency it is. He should have been brought here with anaphylaxis, but we neither sent a chopper nor received one. There are six at the station, and none have been used since a wreck on the interstate last night."

"But," stammered Kensi, "I saw the decal for your hospital. It had to have come here."

"None of the helicopters have decals other than the Med-Evac logo. Each one could fly to any area hospital. We are a private contractor. I am sorry I can't help you more, but that helicopter was not one of ours."

"We need to see your call logs, and get a list of your pilots, EMT's, and all personnel," said Callen.

"Certainly. Just a moment." She answered, walking out of the office.

Just then, Hetty received a call on her cell. She barked into the phone, "Not now, Owen. We have a situation! What? Oh, dear Lord! And his condition? Yes, I have the whole team here. We will be there momentarily."

As everyone looked at her questioningly, she said, "It seems that Mr. Deeks is being held by someone seeking our help. A sort of hostage, if you will. His condition is being used to motivate our cooperation."

"What is his condition?" asked Sam, reaching out and grabbing Kensi's shoulder.

"Tenuous, I'm afraid, and I can't answer more than that until we get to headquarters," she said, leading them all out of the office. When the Med-Evac administrator re-entered the office a few minutes later with the requested files in hand, she was surprised to find they had already gone.

Back at OPS, Kensi tried to brace herself for what they would find out. She kept thinking back to last night. Deeks lathering her hair. Deeks kissing her shoulders. Deeks holding her until they fell asleep. Nell ran to hug her when they walked upstairs, and Kensi fought the urge to fall apart. "We'll get him back," Nell whispered. Kensi nodded silently.

"What the hell is going on, Owen?" demanded Hetty.

"I received an email thirty minutes ago to a protected account. It only accepts inter department messages, so…"

"Your account was hacked," finished Callen.

"Right. The techs are working on that," he said, gesturing toward Eric's back. Nell, pull up the message." He read aloud from the big screen. "We are 'private contractors' hired by a country with many enemies. They captured one such enemy attempting to inject one of their agents with a biochemical weapon linked to a computer chip, which they also secured. We need to find out what this biochemical can do, and secure an antidote for it from the enemy—or come up with one. We are aware of the superior skills of this particular team, and we feel they could help extricate the antidote for us. Based on the information provided by the recent team evaluation form, we have chosen to use Detective Marty Deeks to be _our_ NCIS liaison. You have 24 hours."

The team looked stunned. "What the hell?" said Callen. "Who are they? Who is their enemy? How do we even start?"

"There's a video link," said Kensi quietly. She walked up to the screen and tapped it. They saw a makeshift hospital room, with a heart monitor beeping away in the low light, and the rhythmic sound of a ventilator humming next to a bed. In the bed lay Deeks, pale and still, his arms stretched out to each side and buckled down. He was covered by a thin sheet, under which you could make out leg shackles as well.

"Damn," breathed Sam. He did not like feeling helpless, but he had no idea where to start. Callen clenched his fists as his arms hung at his sides.

Granger felt a flash of anger. Typically impatient with Deeks, he had come to feel differently about him while Agent Blye was away. He could not miss the genuine concern Deeks showed, even offering to give up vacation time to go to Afghanistan and help her with her mission. He knew the detective just wanted to keep watch over her.

A person in medical scrubs and a surgery mask walked in front of the camera, holding a tablet computer. "Agents," he said by way of a greeting, "I am sorry to take such a contentious approach, but the situation is dire. We will send you a list of potential suspects over the secure line to your server that our technicians have set up. Please do not waste time in trying to find out who we are. That is not important. What is important is finding out who controls this biochemical and how to combat it. It could be used against us, or you in the near future."

"It _is_ important to know who you are so we can kick your ass," said Granger. "You have kidnapped a team member from a federal agency, and we had better get him back unharmed!"

"That is up to you," said the voice. That is why we chose Mr. Deeks. We knew your team would fight hard to save a man revealed in yesterday's evaluation to be so selfless."

"What are you talking about?" asked Hetty. "The team evals were completed last week. I have not sent out another form, and my people assure me that the files were not compromised."

"Well, we sent out our own evaluation to the team, trying to find out which skills would warrant their appointment to a dangerous solo assignment. We have considerable resources in technology ourselves, and were able to make it seem as though it came from you, Miss Lange. Your trip to the capital was the key to our timing."

"The form we were sent right before 5:00 yesterday? It wasn't really from you, Hetty?" Hetty shook her head slowly. "Did Deeks tell you he could fly or something? Why was he chosen?" demanded Sam.

"Mr. Deeks listed no skills of his own, unlike the rest of you. He named each of the other team members and told what they offered to the team. He set out to prove that he was the only one you could get along without, and said that's why he should be chosen for such a mission. He said he knew that this team would be able to save him."

Kensi covered her face with her hands.

"How is he?" asked Callen, who had come to stand next to Kensi and put his arm around her. She was not sure she wanted to know the answer to this question.

Another link appeared on the screen. Sam tapped it, and suddenly they were looking at a readout: Temperature—97.9, Respiration-12, BP—90/55, Pulse—45, Oxygen saturation—88.

"These numbers are all low, but not deadly," said Sam thoughtfully.

"Now…" said the voice. From his computer, he clicked on "pulse" and typed in 0. Kensi's nails dug into Callen's arm as the beeping from the monitor in the room droned into one long tone.

"Oh my God," said Eric, rising from his chair.

"Do something!" yelled Granger.

"You see," said the man as he typed, "the biochemical has a magnetic signature that recognizes commands from the computer chip. We think this enables the possessor of the chip to manipulate organ function or release encapsulated toxins on command." The words "restart heart" appeared on the screen, and as the man pressed "enter," Deeks' body stiffened into an arc. The beeping started again as his body relaxed.

Everyone in the room exhaled. "Son of a bitch!" remarked Hetty, as Kensi slumped against Callen's side.

"You stopped his heart based on a hunch?" yelled Sam furiously. "You are playing with a man's life! Tell us how to end this."

"Find the creator, the supplier, and the antidote. We are asking for your help, but make no mistake-we are not allies. To make sure you are trying your hardest, we will cause another—problem—for Detective Deeks every 4 hours until you succeed. We have calculated he could not survive longer than 24 hours. It is now 9:15AM. We will be

back in touch at 1:00 PM." Then the screen went blank.


	3. Chapter 3

"No!" Kensi said, jumping up and charging toward the screen. "Come back!" She brought her hands to her face.

Granger put both hands on Kensi's shoulders and faced her. "Agent Blye, we are all going to work hard to solve this. And when we do, you have my word that these sorry bastards will pay dearly!" Turning to Hetty, he said, "I will work with the team on this, and maybe Nell could partner with me so Kensi can stay here and get updates on Deeks."

"Thanks, Granger," said Callen quietly.

"Yeah, thanks," said Sam. It was obvious they were both angry and worried, but to give in to panic would mean that they would not be as effective. Callen asked, "Nell, Eric—any footage from the beach this morning?"

"Yes," said Eric. The walkway has dozens of cameras." He pulled up a shot showing Deeks from behind. "The couple that helps Deeks comes from around this building," he said, pointing to the screen. "Seconds after they come into view, you see him react to the stings." They saw Deeks swat at his chest, his neck, and his arm before leaning over. "Then they approach as he seems to have trouble breathing, and they each take an arm and help him lie down rather than fall down," he hesitated, checking Kensi's expression.

"Eric, run it back and focus on the couple," said Callen. "There—what is in her pocket?" The woman's hand flashed into and out of her pocket, seeming to tap a rectangular object within.

"I think it's a phone, G," said Sam. "She must have already dialed or typed a message, and she just had to send it. Eric, find a head-on angle."

Kensi remarked, "Maybe she alerted the helicopter, and that's how they were there so fast."

Eric accessed a camera that was several yards down the walkway, and Kensi's heart raced as they watched Deeks running toward it. He looked so incredibly happy, and she thought he looked over his shoulder once—perhaps to see if she had followed him. Just as he neared the buildings, the couple fell in behind him, and they saw him react to the first sting. "Eric, back it up a few seconds and slow it way down." When they looked at the super slow image, they saw a fiber-thin projectile fly in front of Marty's right shoulder and pierce his chest. "It wasn't an insect!" Kensi exclaimed. They continued watching and saw a flurry of these projectiles like a swarm of angry gnats flying toward him, with only a few making contact.

"Those came from the direction of the building. Is there a camera angle facing it?" asked Granger. "Maybe a security camera from the building's exterior?"

"The building's cameras would be angled away from it. Let me check from the far side of the walkway. The best I can do will be too far for much detail, but let's see what we have." They all watched as the camera showed what looked like two muzzle blasts coming from a room on the bottom floor, facing the beach.

"OK, so the projectiles are shot at him, some of them hit, and the couple is there to help. They must have been waiting for him," sighed Sam.

"Eric, find out what room number that was and send it to our phones," said Callen. "Then run that couple through facial recognition to see if there is a hit Granger can check out." Normally, Granger would have balked at taking orders from Callen, but he understood the urgency the team was feeling. "And watch the chopper arrive and take off…"

…"to get a fix on it," finished Eric. "On it."

Callen was almost at the door when he turned around and said, "Kensi, we'll find him." She nodded wordlessly.

Hetty approached her as Granger, Nell, and Eric continued to study the footage. "I know you want to fall apart, to scream, to punch someone. However, when 1:00 comes, things will be so much worse if there is no progress. We have to focus and do whatever we can, dear. We can fall apart later." She patted Kensi's hand.

The next three and a half hours were a blur. Granger and Nell went to interrogate the couple, who were picked up at an airstrip used for celebrities, politicians, or anyone else with a big bank account, about 20 miles from LA. It was decided that Nell and Granger would question them at the boat shed. Callen and Sam had found that the beachside room was empty but had not yet been cleaned. They were combing through the room and the beach for evidence.

Kensi was interested in the path of the chopper, so she studied more footage. An expert tracker, she dealt more with the ground than the air, but she had a trusted contact at a small airport outside the city where she and her father used to go parachuting. She called him and asked guarded questions about flight patterns. It looked as though the helicopter had come and gone over the Pacific, and she wanted to know if that was typical. "The only things out there are boats and sight seers. So if you aren't talking about a sight-seeing tour, then I expect it would be a chopper that intended to set down on a ship," he answered. "Many of the larger ones have landing pads."

"Hetty, I may have something," Kensi called out. "Maybe the helicopter set down on a ship. Maybe the ship has a medical facility, and that's where they are holding Deeks."

"All right! Good job! Eric, see if any of our military contacts have records of a helicopter near the beach this morning, and where it might have landed. I am sure I needn't tell you that time is paramount."

 **Deeks was jolted awake suddenly by a flash of pain in his gut. He was able to breathe again, and he noticed with relief that the breathing tube had been removed. Why was he restrained? Why was he still in this elevator? Why was everyone wearing surgical masks? Where was Kensi?**

" **Hey, Marcus Welby!" he said to one of the doctors. "Let's get this dog and pony show going! I am much better, so how about unstrapping me and letting me go? I promise not to kick anyone else."**

 _ **The man who had held the tablet earlier turned to face Deeks. "I am afraid that is out of the question, Detective. You are a very sick man."**_

" _ **Some would agree there, Doc, but fantasies aside, I really am-" another stab of pain in his abdomen left Deeks panting. "What the hell?" He tried to lift his head to look around, and saw the doctor tap his tablet, coinciding with yet another flash of pain. "Are you…" Tap, pain. "Are you doing this to me on purpose?" Tap, pain.**_

" _ **That's just a sampling, Detective. We stopped your heart awhile ago, in front of your team back at NCIS."**_

" _ **My team? They saw me? You stopped my….so this wasn't a reaction to being stung?" Deeks tried to make sense of what he heard, but it was too much for his muddled mind to comprehend.**_

" _ **The chemical we injected into your leg can be directed and manipulated by commands in a chip we installed in this computer. The chemical was produced by an enemy of the country who hired us to find the antidote. We decided to rely on your team after your glowing recommendation of their skills. We figured they would work especially hard if they knew one of their own had been injected with the chemical."**_

" _ **A chemical? Is that why my leg hurts?" Deeks struggled, his thinking impaired by the waves of pain. "You mean you picked me up from the beach? This isn't a hospital?" It had occurred to Deeks that there was a rumbling far beneath them, like the hum of a motor. He was also sure he had heard a seagull a few times.**_

 _ **He decided to see if he could get someone to slip up and give away a detail he could pass on if he got the chance. "Hell, you might as well throw me overboard!" he said, looking at the fellow whose bruised jaw was showing beneath his mask, marking him as the one Deeks had kicked earlier. Deeks saw the guy nod in agreement. So, they were on a ship! Deeks knew they had not gone below deck, so this must be a container. Maybe that's why he smelled bananas. And rather than baking in a closed container in the California heat, he was quite cold. This must be a refrigerated container.**_

 _ **Vichyssoise Deeks.**_

All too soon, an email with a video link came through. Callen and Sam as well as Granger had asked that they be linked for the 1:00 PM scheduled meeting. Eric looked at Hetty, who nodded, then he opened the link. The ventilator had been removed from Deeks, and his bed was raised to a sitting position, although he was still constrained. His eyes were open, but he seemed to have trouble focusing. Kensi had to stuff her hands in her pockets to keep from reaching for the screen, but she did allow herself to lean forward, stifling a sob. There was recognition in his eyes, and she realized he could see her. "Kens—is that you? I'm so sorry, partner."

"What are you sorry for?" she whispered, trying to smile at him reassuringly.

"I have a bad track record when I go for a run, don't I? Oh, that's funny." He chuckled, but the effort made him cough. He couldn't say more than a few words at a time before stopping to catch his breath, but at least the pain in his gut had stopped. "I left so early this morning for my run, that I didn't make you chocolate ship pancakes like I promised. But I did make some banana bread. I left it in a container in the refrigerator." The slurred words seemed to take such an effort that Kensi wondered if it was from the "stings" or the biochemical. Besides, he never made pancakes or banana bread. She creased her brow, but only smiled in response. Hetty, however, stepped out of the camera's sight and was taking notes.

Kensi spoke softly, "How do you feel? I am worried about you. The whole team is working hard to find the antidote."

"Well, usually when I am tied down, there is a beautiful lady nearby…so this is not as much fun," he joked.

The man from earlier came into view again. "Have you made any progress?"

"Yes," said Hetty, stepping back in front of the monitor. She started to explain what they had discovered, but he held up his hand to silence her. "Do you have the antidote?"

"Not yet," she sighed.

"Then it is time, as discussed."

"No," said Kensi. "Don't put him through anymore, please. We will work just as hard, please."

"We will not show weakness. We will deliver on all promises, pleasant or unpleasant. You see we have the ability to bring Mr. Deeks around to consciousness. That may change with subsequent maladies." With that, he typed "appendix rupture" on the screen.

Kensi's breath caught in her throat, and Hetty exclaimed, "Dear Lord! Please don't do this! We are convinced you mean business, and we will prevail, given time. A ruptured appendix can have serious implications!" But the man just walked out of the viewing frame. Deeks looked at the screen and smiled sympathetically at Kensi, Hetty, and now Eric, as if he was sorry they had to watch him suffer. "Please turn around," he implored, hating for them to see him lose control.

"No, they must watch," came the order.

Suddenly his body contracted toward his stomach, and he would have doubled over if not for the restraints. His face twisted into a mask of pain, and drops of perspiration shone on his face. His breath came in short spurts as he endured wave after wave of red-hot pain. He refrained from yelling for as long as he could, but finally there was no other outlet for the misery he felt. After several minutes, he sagged against the bed, too exhausted to lift his head or open his eyes. His breathing was shallow, and every few seconds a groan escaped his drawn lips.

Kensi, Hetty, and Eric were all three holding hands without realizing it, their faces wet, their expressions shocked. "Hang in there, Deeks. The tech nerds are working as hard as we can," offered Eric. "We'll have you out of there and hangin' ten in no time." He almost never spoke up like that, but he was the only man in the room, and felt that he must offer some reassurance.

Deeks heard him, and without opening his eyes, mouthed "Thank you." Then, with obvious effort, he did open his eyes and looked at the monitor. "Kensi, don't worry."

"I will find you, partner," she whispered.

Just then, the man in scrubs came back in view. "5:00 PM." The screen went dark. Kensi had to lean back against the table. She was at the point once again where she could either succumb to her sadness and anger, or use them to spur herself on. She almost lost the battle this time.


	4. Chapter 4

Callen and Sam pulled to the side of the road when the link to the live feed came through. Although Deeks couldn't hear them, they saw and heard everything he went through at the hands of the "doctor." Callen wanted to close his eyes or look away, but he couldn't. He kept shaking his head as his anger built, and he struggled to keep his mind focused on the task at hand, rather than give in to his emotions. He had felt responsible when Sidirov captured Sam and Deeks and tortured them, but at least he had not been forced to witness it. He wondered, not for the first time, if he was fit to be the team leader. He should have seen through the fake evaluation, and he despised himself for answering the questions in an egotistical way. Everyone else had just wanted to get out of there early, but Deeks took the time to consider the whole team.

Sam hit the steering wheel with his fist, then threw open the car door. He stumbled to the rear of the car, and vomited in the grass. Deeks' agonized cry took him back to the warehouse. He heard the drill, smelled the blood, and heard those screams which still haunted his dreams. When got back in the car, he noticed Callen's red face and eyes. "G, we have to find him in time. When I think about what he went through to protect me and Michelle, and now this is happening?" He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then threw the car in drive and sped off.

The team at the mission couldn't move or speak for a minute after the screen went blank. Then Hetty began shakily, "As hard as it is, let's try and assess what we've learned." "Miss Blye, I assume Deeks does not cook pancakes or banana bread?" Kensi shook her head. "Well then, our detective friend was giving us clues." Kensi's confused expression gave way to understanding as Hetty continued. Did you hear him say 'chocolate _ship_ pancakes' and 'container in the refrigerator'? I believe he was telling us that he is being held on a container ship, perhaps one that transports bananas."

"And maybe has refrigerated cars," added Eric.

"Right," said Hetty. "So your contact was correct, Agent Blye, in assuming the helicopter banked toward the Pacific on purpose."

"We have also learned," said Eric quietly, "that the assumption they had about the biochemical controlling organ function was correct. Hetty, I am not finding any chatter about this type of technology. It is a well-kept secret. However, the list of suspects sent to us by the group holding Deeks has some very tech-savvy entities on it. For instance, North Korea, Russia, China,…"

"Do we know who might be an enemy of all three of those?" asked Kensi.

"Well, they may have included themselves in the list to throw us off," reasoned Eric," but there is one more interesting country listed….the United States." Hetty pursed her lips as Kensi shook her head.

"Why would they ask us to help them if they consider us an enemy?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Well, my dear, you certainly wouldn't treat an ally the way they have treated Mr. Deeks," Hetty reasoned. Just then, a call came in from Callen. "Hetty, we found some of the projectiles in the room where they shot them at Deeks. We will get those to the lab. We also found a hypodermic between the walkway and the area where the chopper was put down."

"That must be the epi-pen the medics injected Deeks with," said Kensi.

"Sam doesn't think it's an epi-pen, Kensi. We are bringing it to the lab, too. Maybe the projectiles incapacitated Deeks until they could inject him with the biochemical. It must still have trace evidence inside. I hope it's enough to come up with an antidote!"

"Agent Callen, we have reason to believe Deeks is being held on a container ship. We are trying to come up with more specific information, but maybe we can get to him ourselves before we could catch the culprits," Hetty reported.

"Sam and I will be there in ten minutes, Kensi."

Just then, Granger and Nell came back to ops. "Where do we stand, Henrietta?" asked Granger as they bustled in. As they talked, Nell came over to Kensi.

"We saw what went on at 1:00. It took my breath away, so I can imagine how you are feeling, Kensi." Nell reached out and laid a hand on Kensi's arm, afraid that a hug would cause both of them to lose control.

Kensi let out a long breath. "I am holding it together now because it won't help him at all if I don't. He was still fighting, Nell. Still trying to make light of the situation and he was able to think clearly enough to give us clues." She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as she explained to Nell about the information Deeks had passed along.

Hetty and Granger walked over to them. Granger looked almost sympathetic as he nodded at Kensi. "Did this super interrogator tell you what she was able to get the couple to admit?" he asked with a grin. "Nell found a picture of their children, and doctored it to make it look like we had them as hostages. They spewed like a fountain! They had been recruited to hire the person who shot Deeks with the first drug to imitate bee stings. They were supposed to stay right with him, and keep true responders off the scene. Then they alerted the helicopter that was standing by using a burner phone they were given. The fake medics injected Deeks with the biochemical right in front of everyone."

"Including me," said Kensi, incredulously. "I thought they were saving him, but they were killing him!"

"Who hired them? What is their nationality?" asked Hetty.

Nell answered, "They are originally from Russia, but they live in Paris. They speak several languages, and have been hired by many countries for short-term ops because of their ability to blend in. They haven't had an assignment in years, because they decided to raise a family. One of their old contacts found them and threatened to turn them in to French authorities if they refused this job. They were hired through him, and they were never told who was behind it."

Sam and Callen came into the ops center and were brought up to speed. The lab called, and Callen spoke to them briefly. "How long do you think we have? Do you have someone you suggest? Yes, put your best personnel on this. We have to save him." To the group, Callen reported, "The projectiles were filled with concentrated doses of a drug that causes temporary airway constriction. The biochemical in the hypo contains both encapsulated viruses and magnetic material. The trace was too small to know how this material targets particular organs, but the lab is trying to recreate a larger sample to experiment with."

Sam stated what everyone was thinking, "The only problem with that, G, is time. How long will that take? It's almost 3:00 now. We all saw what Deeks went through last time. I am not sure he even has 16 hours. I'm sorry, Kensi, but I don't know if we can wait for the lab to produce a sample."

Kensi's head dropped in resignation, but she could not dispute what Sam said.

Callen responded, "They are sending a doctor to us that was trained by the CIA to combat biological weapons. She can filter the information from us and the lab to give us the best plan of action—sort of a liaison," he finished, the irony lost on no one.

"Hey, I found something!" said Eric. I contacted a guy who operates surveillance for a shipping company in San Pedro. He said that a helicopter did set down on a container ship yesterday, about a mile offshore. It was near two ships run by the company he works for. The ship headed for open water shortly afterwards."

"Eric, does he know whose ship it was?" asked Granger.

"Yep. Taiwan," he announced.

"So a likely culprit for the biochemical is China," said Callen.

"Unless," said Nell, "Taiwan itself is responsible for it, and wanted a trial run to see how effective it was, and how hard it is to come up with an antidote."

The medical team was ushered into the room just then. A tall, middle-aged woman introduced herself as Dr. Stevens, the team leader. "We have reviewed the file on this case as well as the sample retrieved at the scene. We are of the opinion that there is no way to make an antidote for this chemical, no matter how much time is allowed."

"There has to be!" yelled Sam. "Why would they kidnap one of our team and put him through all of this?"

"They wanted one of our guys to sacrifice himself so they could save their own people." said Callen. He had his arm around Kensi, who stared silently at the doctor. "Hetty, we have to get help with this. We need to concentrate on extracting Deeks, but that doesn't leave time to figure out who has this chemical. We need a team on each of the countries listed as possible suspects, and see if one of them turns up the antidote." Panic was edging its way into Callen's voice.

"Mr. Callen, Granger and I have already seen to that, but again, the obstacle is time. Those efforts may bring about the results we need, but perhaps not in the next 16 hours," she responded gravely.

"There may be a medical solution without an antidote," said Dr. Stevens. "I think an exchange transfusion is the only way to save him."

"So, replace his blood with fresh, uncontaminated blood to rid him of the chemical," said Sam, nodding. "Eric, how close are we to finding that ship?"

"Just checking satellite images—There!' he said. This is the only ship that currently has a helicopter on deck. They are traveling parallel to shore just outside of U.S. waters with empty containers. Now let's see if we can use infrared to find people inside a container. Ok—here." Nell gave him a thumbs-up and patted his shoulder.

"We don't have time to clear this operation with Washington, and chances are they would delay for political reasons," said Granger. "We have to go in dark and try to rescue him ourselves."

"We will do more than try, Granger. We will get our teammate," said Callen. "Just like he knew we would."

 _ **As Deeks contorted from the abdominal pain he was bombarded with, he felt some give on one of the wrist restraints.. He began to focus on trying to slide his hand out rather than fight the pain he was in. Simultaneously, he arched and stretched his feet, trying to find a way to wiggle out of the ankle restraints. He could curse himself for kicking at the medics, because they had been angry when they strapped his ankles, making sure they were buckled tightly.**_

 _ **When his left hand finally twisted free, he tried to think of a way to make a distraction that would give him time to unbuckle his other hand and feet. There were at least two goons plus the doctor with him all of the time, and he wasn't sure where the others went when they left the container.**_

" _ **Hey, did you guys hear that? I think it was gunfire." He tried not to let his voice reflect the pain he was in, not wanting to give them the satisfaction. Two of the men looked at each other and shrugged. "I am pretty sure it was an automatic weapon." The closest man to Deeks scowled, not sure if he was kidding. The two walked toward the door, but didn't open it. "Maybe that's why your buddies haven't come back yet," continued Deeks. The doctor was not even paying attention, and the two men seemed to take his silence as permission for them to go check.**_

 _ **Deeks knew it was about time for the doctor to come and check the monitor leads again. As the doctor came near, Deeks hit him with all the strength he could muster using his free hand. The surprise caught the doctor off guard, and he stumbled back, tripping over the heart monitor, ripping the taped leads from Deeks' chest. "Talk about ripping the bandaid!" he winced, as he frantically unbuckled his right hand. The doctor was struggling to his feet as Deeks threw off the sheet and unbuckled his ankles quickly. He had just a second to see the large, dark area of his thigh that had been hurting, just visible beneath the running shorts he was still wearing. The injection site looked as bad as it felt. He slid to the floor, grabbing the bed until he could support himself. The doctor was coming closer, and Deeks grabbed the IV stand and hurled it at him. He limped to the other end of the container and pushed the door open, blinking in the late afternoon sun.**_

 _ **Having no idea which way to go, Deeks zigzagged his way around and along the containers, pushing himself along toward one side of the ship. He hoped he would be able to see another boat, and somehow signal it.**_

 _ **The two goons walked back toward the container, breaking into a run when they saw that the door was open. They ran in to find the doctor struggling to his feet. "Son of a bitch! Let's go and find him!" said one of the men.**_

" _ **Wait," panted the doctor, reaching for the tablet. I will make sure he stops running." He typed the word "paralysis" and hit enter.**_

 _ **Deeks was glad to breathe in ocean air without the sickeningly sweet smell of bananas filling his nostrils. He had to pass one more container on his wobbly legs, and then he would be at the side of the ship. He was almost there when his limbs stopped working altogether, and he fell forward like a telephone pole. He could not even lift his hands to break his fall, but one of them had swung forward and was driven under his body and then off at an unnatural angle. Just before his head hit the metal floor with tremendous force, he heard his arm crack.**_

 _ **The other two men had come back off their break by this time, and they joined the search, fanning out. One of them found Deeks, unconscious from the force of the blow to his head, with a grossly broken arm. The first man to reach him viciously kicked Deeks in the ribs before the others got to him. "Hey, man, we can't kill him yet! If we mess this up, none of us gets paid.."**_

 _ **As two of the others grabbed Deeks under the arms, the one with the bruised jaw whipped off his belt and said, "Hold him there for a minute. I want him to know this was from me." With that, he lashed Deeks again and again with his belt, leaving bright criss-cross welts across his bare back and shoulders. "Aww, that would have been more fun if he was awake for it," he complained.**_

 _ **They dragged Deeks back to the container, and pulled him on the bed. The doctor waved ammonia under his nose to bring him back to consciousness. Then he straightened Deeks' broken arm, stretching it so that it could be buckled several notches tighter than before. Deeks was still unable to move, but he was certainly able to feel the pain. He cried out, and one of the men laughed, leaning over Deeks. "How does your back feel, man?**_

 _ **Deeks knew he had turned the tables, and not in a good way. Whereas the men had been carrying out their prescribed duties with neither compassion nor malice before, he had now given them reason to enjoy their tasks. The doctor said, "Well, Mr. Deeks, you are much stronger than we gave you credit for. We will make sure nothing like that happens again." The doctor pulled up the readout on Deeks' vitals, and increased his temperature to 104.**_


	5. Chapter 5

The screen in ops came to life with a video feed. It was 5:00.

Dr. Stevens, along with Callen, Sam, and Kensi were on a helicopter headed to the Pacific with the updated headings Eric was constantly feeding them. The medical team made sure there was enough of Deeks' blood type for a complete exchange transfusion waiting at the hospital. Only Granger, Eric, Nell, and Hetty were there to see the live feed. Hetty was nervous that Kensi's absence would alert the kidnappers that the team was on the move, but it was a chance they had to take if there was any hope of getting to Deeks in time. Kensi's sniper skills may be needed, but more than that, she wanted to be among the fist to see him.

On screen in OPS as well as in the helicopter, there was a collective gasp when the feed came through. "What the hell happened? Did you torture him too, you bastards?" demanded Granger. "Haven't you put him through enough?"

Blood oozed from a large wound on one side of his forehead, staining his hair. The cheekbone and jaw of that same side seemed deflated, and more blood trickled near the corner of his mouth. The whole side of his face was reddish purple.

His arm, though pulled tightly and strapped down, was anything but straight. Swelling and discoloration were apparent there, too. With the sheet having been discarded, the darkening bruises on his ribs were evident, and Nell whispered, "Only one side of his chest is moving," indicating a collapsed lung. His breath was shallow and labored, and it was obvious that he was in pain by his frequent groans. Quite unexpected was the large dark area on his thigh. Eric squinted and enlarged the image, noticing it did not look like the bruises on Deeks' ribs, but much darker, with dark lines emanating from the area, perhaps following veins. Nell drew in her breath and grabbed Eric's arm, while Hetty's lips pressed together in a thin line.

"It seems Detective Deeks sold himself short in his evaluation," said the doctor. "He managed to free himself from arm and leg restraints and escape this room. But, the biochemical gives many options for dealing with occurrences such as that. I paralyzed him," he announced, almost proudly. "He suffered a broken arm and a concussion in the fall. Quite unfortunate for him—he had enough to worry about already."

"And he was beaten after being paralyzed?" demanded Granger, while Hetty seemed uncharacteristically dumbfounded. "You are a bunch of filthy, inhuman cowards! I am going to find you, put that biochemical in an enema, and shove it up your ass!"

"Save your venom, Mr. Granger," he said with a dismissive gesture. "Tick-tock. Antidote?"

Hetty struggled with her emotions and her options. Should she continue acting as if she knew nothing more, and was still struggling to find an antidote, or would they keep their word and release him if she told them there was a solution, albeit no antidote—that a blood transfusion was the only way they knew of to save someone injected with this toxin? Something told her that no matter what, this group would show no mercy, and her team had been used to solve a puzzle for them. That being said, just in case the group was unaware that a transfusion alone would counteract the biochemical, she didn't want to give that information to them.

"Our lab needs more time to produce a larger sample so that we can work on it," she told him. This _was_ true if there even was an antidote.

"No more time!" yelled the man. "Where is the rest of your team?" he sneered.

"They are working to find an antidote and save Mr. Deeks, and we were given 24 hours," Hetty reminded him.

"Our timetable has changed due to Detective Deeks' condition, and your team has failed miserably! He put his trust in unworthy people. You seem no closer now than you were 8 hours ago. My orders are to speed up his inevitable death." With that, he inserted a large needle into the crook of Deeks' arm, with a long tube attached that he fed into a drainage pipe under the bed. Deeks stirred and moaned, but was powerless to protest. In seconds, his blood began flowing through the tube.

Oh no!" breathed Nell. "He's going to bleed out before they can get to him!"

The doctor unzipped a bag that had been under the bed, brought out a gun, and quickly shot all four of the guards. He took the tablet computer, but left the video feed monitor on. They could hear him walking away.

"Mr. Callen, did you all see that on your devices?" Hetty asked through her comms.

"Yeah, we saw," remarked Callen, barely able to speak.

"Hey, listen to this." Eric said. Satellite surveillance just picked up a helicopter taking off from a ship in your vicinity. It must be them. They left right after starting the blood drain, so that if Deeks were found, no blood sample would be left. That means you now have a place to land, Callen, and you won't have to drop in."

Sam broke in. "Hetty, Dr. Stevens did not bring any blood aboard the helicopter with us, but I have the same blood type as Deeks. We can start a direct transfusion when we get him aboard. We just have to hope the blood loss isn't too fast."

"Eric," Sam said, "Use the infrared to tell us which container he's in. We also need to know how many of the enemy we are looking for."

"This is weird, guys," came Eric's reply, "but I only see one human heat signature on the vessel. It must be Deeks, and it barely registers. He did leave that clue about a refrigerator. Maybe they kept him in a refrigerated container to throw off a heat sensor. In that case, his high temperature is helping the reading," he said grimly.

"But, there are no other people on the ship?" Callen asked incredulously. "Who is piloting it?"

"Maybe the kidnappers killed the crew, and that's why there are no other heat signatures." Nell said. "The ship probably has auto pilot, just like a plane, and the course is set. I'll see if I can use the satellite surveillance to find the ship's computer signal, and then access it." After furiously typing for a minute, she said, "OK, I'm in. I'll see if I can shut down the engines. Got it! OK, you guys are almost there! I'm turning on the lights on the helipad." Deeks is in the fourth container to the right of the helipad."

As the helicopter neared the ship, Callen nudged Sam and pointed to a thin, red stream coming from one of the drainage holes at the top of the ship. Blood. Sam cursed quietly, hoping Kensi was not looking. He tried to turn casually in her direction, and she met his gaze with a horrified expression. She had seen.

The chopper set down, and it was all Sam could do not to open the doors and jump out before it was on the deck. He and Callen slid the side doors open and jumped out, with Kensi right behind them. They helped Dr. Stevens jump down, and they all took off for the fourth container. The doctor tripped over a heap of trash, and when Sam helped her up, they discovered the discarded vinyl logos used to disguise the helicopter that picked Deeks up from the beach.

When they reached the container, the door was not even locked. Sam pulled it open, feeling a blast a frigid air. They had to step over two bodies near the door, then the other two on opposite sides along the middle of the container.

At the far end was the gurney, with a pale figure wearing only a pair of running shorts strapped tightly to it. A tube filled with his blood extended from his left arm, the red liquid a stark contrast to his pale skin. Callen and Kensi reached him first, both saying his name and trying to get him to respond. Callen lifted his head while Kensi touched the back of her hand to his hot cheek. Dr. Stevens went to his opposite side, where she opened her bag and took out gauze and tape. She gently pulled the needle out, and taped gauze to the site. "Let's get him out of here fast!" she ordered. She unbuckled his wrist restraint and supported his broken arm as she laid it next to him on the gurney. Deeks cried out in pain.

Kensi put her mouth next to his ear and said, "Deeks, we found you…I love you…you are so brave… I love you…please, please keep fighting..I love you." He moaned, but Kensi was not sure if it was a response to her or to pain. "Please tell me you can hear me," she implored. No reply.

Sam had already unbuckled his ankles, cursing softly as he rubbed them to restore the blood flow. He noticed the contrast of hot skin to the frigid room.

Callen unbuckled his other wrist, rubbing as he had seen Sam do. Callen was not trained as a medic like Sam, but at times like this, he wished he knew more and could be more help. He had never seen anyone in such bad shape that was still alive, and he felt certain Deeks would not make it to the hospital.

The group back at the mission watched helplessly, holding their breath and each other's hands. They had been united in anguish, anger, fear, and hope.

In a hurry to be out of the frigid container, Sam and Callen unlocked the wheels of the gurney, sometimes rolling, sometimes lifting it as they hurried to the helicopter. The pilot came out with the backboard that they would use to transfer Deeks to the gurney that was already anchored to the floor of the aircraft. As Sam and Callen rolled Deeks carefully on his side to place the board under him, they saw the welts from the lashes with the belt. Sam fell on one knee and struggled with the urge to vomit again. He yelled to the pilot over the roar of the engine, "Give me the sheet from the gurney!" He laid it out on the board, hoping to make the surface more bearable for Deeks. Kensi had come around to see what was wrong, and stood there clutching her stomach.

When Deeks was on board and strapped in, the pilot lifted off. Everyone tried to stay out of Dr. Stevens' way. After putting an oxygen mask on Deeks, she directed Sam to sit in the seat nearest his unbroken arm, and lowered the gurney to the floor. She connected a tube to two needles. Sam instructed Kensi to tie a rubber strip to his upper arm to make his veins accessible, while Dr. Stevens did the same to Deeks. She then inserted one of the needles into each man's arm.

Prioritizing the treatment of his injuries, she listened to his lungs with a stethoscope and quickly decided that a broken rib must have punctured a lung. She withdrew from her case a very large needle attached to a syringe, and carefully felt for the space between his second and third ribs. She inserted the needle, and Kensi grabbed Callen's hand and closed her eyes. "This is to help him, Kens, not hurt him," Callen said soothingly through the headphones. Dr. Stevens slowly withdrew excess air through the syringe, and Deeks actually seemed to relax. The last thing she was able to accomplish on the helicopter was to immobilize his broken arm.

With those emergency procedures underway, Dr. Stevens began to inspect the large bruise-like area on Deeks' thigh. She examined the spidery lines extending from the main grapefruit-sized spot with interest as well as confusion. She took off her headphones to adjust her glasses for a better look. She was unaware of Kensi staring at her, and certainly unaware of Kensi's ability to read lips when she said, "We never saw _that_ in a lab animal."

Kensi jolted in her seat, startling Callen who was still holding her hand. She knew she had seconds to tell them what she had seen while the doctor had her headphones off. "Guys," she said, "did you see that?" They shook their heads, their eyes wide and questioning. "She said, 'We never saw that in a lab animal.' She has tested this before! Her team must have developed it… We must be the enemy that tried to use it on a foreign agent… Oh, my God…we did this to Deeks!"


	6. Chapter 6

Kensi's heart was beating so fast that she was sure Dr. Stevens could see it. Knowing that the doctor had no comms and couldn't hear him, Granger said, "Take it easy, Agent Blye. She may be speaking about cases in general, or maybe you misread her. Let me call a friend at the CIA and check up on her. I'm sure they wouldn't have sent her if she weren't the best." The rest of the medical team had already left for the hospital.

"Right now, she seems to offer the best chance for the survival of Mr. Deeks," reminded Hetty. "I have become rather attached to him, and I would like for him to recover. If you read her right, she would not want his death attributed to her. She would have me to deal with."

Callen looked at Deeks, and shook his head. How could this man, to whom no one gave due credit, offer himself as a hostage for the rest of them? Did they deserve that type of protection and loyalty from him? Callen was aware that Deeks had engineered the prisoner swap in which Kensi and Jack were released in Afghanistan, but he wasn't even sure Kensi knew about it. He assumed Deeks would tell her, but maybe the detective was not as spotlight-hungry as they had figured. As _he_ had figured.

When it came to criminals and informants, Callen considered himself a shrewd judge of character and trustworthiness. Maybe that didn't extend to good guys. After Deeks withstood torture to protect Michelle and Sam, the two senior agents had discussed the fact that he was tougher than they thought. Hell, no one on the team had ever had the things done to him that had happened to Deeks.

It was hard for anyone to understand that had not experienced it, but to be abducted and tortured like that brought about strange feelings. It was almost embarrassing to have people know that someone had got the better of you like that, and you rejected the sympathy brought on by your wounds at the hands of those you set out to foil. Since Janvier took revenge on Callen by betraying Sam, Sam was able to shrug off that embarrassment. It was not because he had failed. The only reason Deeks had been captured was that he gave up his hiding place to save Sam from drowning, so he should not have felt out-maneuvered either.

Yet Callen always got the impression that the detective felt the incident was his fault somehow, and that he should have been able to rescue Sam and himself. Maybe something had happened on the hill where Deeks and Kensi had set up surveillance that distracted him and made him lose focus. Maybe that's where the guilt came from.

Callen recalled other times Deeks had put himself in danger. He had almost been blown up trying to infiltrate a human trafficking ring, an operation that cost his former partner her life. Even so, Deeks bulldozed his way further into that circle, trying to protect innocent young girls he didn't even know.

He also stood ready to be blown up with Kensi if he couldn't get her out of a rigged room alive. Then of course, there was the case where Deeks was used as a decoy and shot to bring Kensi out in the open so she could be abducted. When Deeks figured that out, he tore through the hospital just hours after surgery for two gunshot wounds and took out the abductor, re-injuring himself in the process.

Callen felt admiration for Deeks, which surprised him. Anyone who put his life on the line unselfishly time after time was the kind of team member he wanted backing him up. Maybe that's why Callen had listed Deeks as second out of the four team members in importance. He didn't know what Sam would think of that, but whereas Callen was so in tune with his partner's actions and thoughts that he knew just what Sam would do during an op, it was the unexpected reactions of Deeks that made him a desirable back up. Deeks looked at situations differently than the rest of them.

All of this had flashed through Callen's mind in a minute, while Kensi looked at her lover helplessly. When she awoke this morning, the promise of a lazy day lingered like Marty's scent on the sheets. She wondered at how they had not grown tired of each other yet, and how each time they made love, they learned something new about each other. As Kensi learned more about Marty's past, she was always struck by how innately good he was. How did someone who had endured such mental and physical abuse become such a loving and sensitive person?

Seeing him struggling to breathe on the beach had worried her so much that she had not properly assessed the situation this morning. She had failed to protect him, even though he had never failed her. That was why she had given him second billing on the evaluation, after putting herself first as she assumed was expected. Who would take an agent seriously if she didn't give herself the number one spot?

She could not imagine the weight of her guilt if he died. She would take it out on someone. The doctor, perhaps. For now, however, Kensi had to control her impulse to squeeze the doctor's neck until she stopped breathing. She could not jeopardize Marty's best chance at survival.

Sam sat quietly, his mind taking in the doctor's comment, Deeks' condition, and the reflection of guilt and concern in Callen's and Kensi's expressions. He tried to will his blood to "fix" Deeks, but he knew this transfusion was just to keep him from going into cardiac arrest after the maniac had drained so much of it. He was confident that the remainder of the team back at the mission was doing all they could do to solve this mystery, and he resisted the urge to make suggestions—partly so the doctor wouldn't hear them, but also because he was afraid that if he lost his focus on Deeks, that he would slip away from them. He felt protective, like he did when he ordered the ER doctor to give Deeks some space after the Sidirov incident, when Deeks would not consent to being examined.

Having seen firsthand the extent that Deeks would go to in order to protect the team was the main reason Sam had listed Deeks second on the ranking. The other team members may do just as much, but no one could do more than Deeks had done to safeguard one of them.

As the agents on the helicopter tried individually and collectively to will Deeks to live, there was no time for such emotions back at OPS. Granger was on the phone with the CIA. Hetty didn't quite trust Granger to tell her everything he might be able to find out from the Agency, so she was enlisting the help of some of her own contacts. Eric continued tracking two helicopters—the one the team was in, and the one that had taken off from the container ship just minutes before the team reached it.

Nell was wondering how to anonymously alert the Coast Guard to the fact that an unmanned vessel was in the Pacific, since their operation to rescue Marty was not sanctioned. She did not have to worry about that for long.

Simultaneously, the surveillance on the ship and the helicopter registered a blast of heat that was anything but human. Both vessels were incinerated, causing both Nell and Eric to flinch as though they had been just feet away from the blasts, rather than miles away.

"Oh, bugger!" breathed Hetty. "Mr. Beale, Miss Jones—were those vessels hit by missile fire?"

"No, Hetty," said Nell.

"Nuh-uh," Eric chimed in, "Hetty, those blasts came from devices within the vessels. They were either set with timers or activated remotely, but it will be hard to tell after the fact."

"Can you tell if anyone ejected from the helicopter?" asked Hetty.

"No, but now the Coast Guard has a reason to check out both scenes, so if he did, they will pick him up," Nell answered.

"Just make sure no one else picks him up first," Hetty ordered. "It's time to call SecNav," she reasoned.

As the pilot let them know they would be approaching the hospital momentarily, Dr. Stevens withdrew the needle from Sam's arm. "You know he would not have survived this ride if it weren't for this," she said.

"I would do anything in my power to keep him alive," Sam said, forcing the doctor to meet his gaze. "We all would." If she noticed his warning tone, Dr. Stevens gave no indication. She continued fussing over Deeks, making sure he was ready to be rolled to the waiting elevator when they arrived. Her colleagues, along with several doctors from the hospital, all wearing infectious disease protection suits, met them on the landing pad and helped roll him along. Kensi hurried to keep up, desperate to hold his hand or touch his leg as he was moved toward a waiting isolation room. The hospital had insisted on quarantining Deeks, just in case the biochemical produced a contagion. The three agents were told on the elevator that they would not be allowed in the room, but Sam insisted they be given the protective suits and they would stand out of the way.

Once in the room, Deeks was lifted off the backboard and onto the examination table. "Watch his back!" yelled Sam, remembering the painful welts he saw there from the attack on the ship. One of the doctors was about to remind Sam about his promise to be unobtrusive when he saw the lash marks and winced himself. Those wounds would have to wait, however, while the more pressing issues were dealt with.

A breathing tube was inserted once again, to allow Deeks' collapsed lung to heal, and to maintain regular respirations during whatever procedures would be necessary. A drain tube was fitted to the large needle Dr. Stevens had inserted between his ribs earlier.

"We need a CT scan on this head wound STAT," one of the doctors ordered. A portable machine had been brought to the isolation room so they would not have to risk transporting Deeks through the hospital.

"We need an image of his appendix as well," ordered another voice.

"Where is the blood we ordered?" asked Dr. Stevens. We need to start the exchange transfusion now."

"Should we try to get his temperature down first?" asked one of the doctors on Stevens' team. "It's registering 104.6."

"There's no time," she answered. Just then, Deeks stiffened and relaxed, his eyes opening without seeing anything. Callen wasn't sure if it was a convulsion brought on by the fever, or if it was cardiac arrest. Then the heart monitor blared rapid, staccato beats that melted into one long one, leaving no doubt.

It took all of Sam's self-control not to rush over himself and begin CPR, but he knew the doctors were more than capable. "Begin compressions. Charge defibrillator. Go ahead and bag him." A doctor detached the breathing tube from the ventilator and attached a compression bag so that the breaths could be coordinated with the chest compressions. Kensi remembered hearing that if CPR was done correctly, a few ribs would most likely break. Was it a good thing or a bad thing that these were on the opposite side as the ribs that were already broken? She kept wondering, _how much more can he take?_

"Clear!" The paddles were placed on his chest, and Deeks' limp form stiffened into an arc just as it had during the first video feed. No change. "Continue compressions. Recharge." Seconds ticked by as Kensi unconsciously allowed herself to inhale only when the ventilator bag was compressed.

The paddles were placed on his chest once more. "Clear!" Sam closed his eyes, willing the electricity to stimulate Deeks' heart. _Beep…beep….beep…beep._ Sam and Callen realized they both had been clenching their fists, and they slowly relaxed their hands. Each had an arm around Kensi, and they felt her go slack as she nearly collapsed. Getting her a chair, Sam said, "Kensi, there's a long way to go. Why don't you let us take you somewhere else for awhile?" He knew she would refuse, but at least the intensity of her focus was broken momentarily.

The bags of blood were produced, and two were attached to the unbroken arm, where Sam's blood had been transfused. Kensi grabbed one of Sam's and one of Callen's hands when the doctors moved Deeks' broken arm to get to a vein so they could allow the contaminated blood to be removed from his body. Deeks was so deeply unconscious that he had no reaction whatsoever. The blood was collected so that the CIA medical team could study it closely.

With those procedures underway, the CT scan was begun. Despite the fact that it made her proud that Deeks had been able to get away temporarily from his captors, she realized that his head wound could be serious. If he had not been able to escape, he would be in better physical shape now.

Once the scan of his head was complete, the doctors scanned his abdomen. As they waited for results of the scans to be shared with them, Callen received a call from Hetty. He stepped aside to answer. "What is it?" he asked.

"How is Mr. Deeks?" she asked.

"They have started the exchange transfusion. Hetty, his heart stopped. He has a collapsed lung, a dangerously high fever, a serious head wound…" his voice trailed off. "It doesn't look good."

"Do you think Dr. Stevens and her team are doing everything they can?" she asked.

"Yes…I think so…there are other doctors here, too, so I think they have to. Hetty, what are you thinking?"

"Listen carefully, Mr. Callen. If he dies, arrest the CIA team immediately."

 **Sorry for the delay on this chapter—vacation.** More to come!


	7. Chapter 7

"Hetty, should I arrest the team now?" he asked in a shocked tone, stepping into the makeshift tunnel bridging the space between the hallway and the quarantine area. " Are you worried that they have another agenda? What if they kill Deeks or let him die to cover something up? I can't just stand by and let them!" Callen tried not to raise his voice, but this didn't make sense.

"In a nutshell, Mr. Callen, this _is_ the team that developed the biochemical that was injected into our Mr. Deeks. However, it had only been tested on animals, and was far from ready. Last week, it seems two vials went missing. These vials contained the only doses large enough for a human, and certainly no one knows if there are any residual effects, even if all traces are removed through the exchange transfusion. It was in the very early stages of trial."

"So one of the doctors on the team is a double agent? Or, do you think they were working as a unit, to split the profit?" Callen tried to wrap his head around this information.

"Good question. Each doctor was given a polygraph last week, and all passed. But, we all know agents are trained in how to fool those machines. The medical team has been living under in-house arrest until there's a break in the case—partly for their own protection. If it wasn't one of them, then there may be someone else on the inside. We don't know if the original purchaser knows the chemical came from the U.S. but we cannot tip our hand and admit it. That would be suicide in the court of public opinion, and SecNav has threatened to shut us down if we rattle too many cages and jeopardize the country's image. As hard as we have fought against bio-terrorism, we would be open to untold criticism and covert attacks."

"What if the CIA just wants all of this to go away, and orders the team to let Deeks die? Hetty, we have to question the doctors now and figure out if we can trust them."

"What will happen to Marty Deeks in the meantime, Mr. Callen? I am afraid we need them. The CIA director assures Granger that the doctors will do everything in their power to save Deeks, but I want them watched closely. We have not been given complete control over this situation, but we may have to take it."

Stepping back into the isolation room, Callen ignored the questioning stares of Kensi and Sam, and surveyed the doctors. He was familiar with one of them on staff, an Indian lady he had met before when Deeks was shot. She was fitting two new bags of blood into the needles in his arm. He approached her and said as loudly as he dared through the facemask he was wearing, "I need to speak to you in private. It is crucial, and will only take a minute." She nodded and followed him just outside the room.

"Doctor, how is he? What are his chances?" Callen began.

"His chances are not good, but I think you know that. What else?"

"Do you feel the special team is doing everything they can to save him?"

"I know about poisonings, but very little about biochemicals," she said. "I can tell you that so far, there is nothing I disagree with in their treatment plan. I wish there was a simple antidote, but an exchange transfusion is not unheard of for other types of poisoning."

"I need you to scrutinize every move that is made, and let me know if there is _any_ indication that the team is not acting in the best interest of Detective Deeks. It may be a matter of national security. An agent will be in the room at all times. Think you can do that?"

"Absolutely, Agent…"

"Callen."

"OK, Agent Callen, now I need to return to my patient."

Once back in the treatment room, Callen noticed Kensi's hand shaking as it rested on her leg. He caught Sam's eye, and Sam nodded toward Deeks, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.

A drainage tube had been inserted into his abdomen through a small incision. Callen took in the severity of Deeks' injuries, excluding the internal havoc wreaked by the biochemical. His head and face showed signs of swelling and discoloration. Electrodes had been added to his forehead, and there were multiple leads attached to his chest. His left forearm was horribly swollen and bruised, and had a grotesque curve to it. There was a narrow tube draining blood from that same arm, while tubes attached to two bags of whole blood led to his other arm, and an IV led to the back of his hand.

There was bruising on his ribcage, where it was apparent he had suffered multiple kicks. A tube protruded from his chest, sending air bubbles through a jar of liquid under the bed. Now a tube protruded from his abdomen on the same side, draining into a separate container.

As one of the doctors pulled back the sheet, Callen gasped. The grapefruit-sized black area on Deeks' thigh was even more alarming in the light of the hospital room than it had been on the helicopter. This was the discovery that had exposed the involvement of Dr. Stevens, and Callen tried to assess the reaction of the other doctors, but the suits made it virtually impossible. After consulting with the other team members, Dr. Stevens approached the agents.

"We need to biopsy tissue from the darkened area to determine how to treat it. This may be very unpleasant to watch. Why don't you let us come and tell you when we know more?"

Sam asked, "Shouldn't you wait until the transfusion is finished? Can he afford more blood loss?"

"Normally, we would, but this area really concerns me. If it is a buildup of toxins or necrotic tissue, I am not sure if the transfusion could cause it to spread through the bloodstream. This is uncharted territory for all of us, and we need to know what we are dealing with," she reasoned.

Kensi was now shaking all over as she stood to face the doctor. "So is Deeks your lab animal now? How can you not know the consequences of something you created? What kind of doctor are you?" She was becoming hysterical, and fought against Sam, who tried to usher her out of the room.

"Sam, get her out of here. Call Hetty when you can, and she'll fill you in. I am staying," Callen said.

"You are a murderer!" Kensi screamed, as Sam carried her bodily from the room.

Dr. Stevens looked shaken. "You know," she stated.

"Yes, and I am here to make sure you do everything in your power to keep him alive. If he dies, you and your team will never see daylight again. I will personally make sure of that," Callen said icily.

"Agent Callen, we will talk more later, but I assure you, I could not live with myself if this young man doesn't make it. This has been a tragic nightmare," she finished, turning to rejoin the others. Callen noticed the dark circles under her weary-looking eyes as she turned.

A microscope had been brought in and wheeled to one side of the room. One of the hospital staff had already applied a betadine wash to Deeks' thigh, and placed absorbent toweling around it. It was this doctor who picked up a scalpel, taking a surface sample about a centimeter in diameter that was immediately transferred to a slide, and placed on the microscope. To Callen's surprise, dark liquid, looking like very old blood, oozed from the area. The doctors placed a synthetic membrane over the wound, and all of them seemed visibly perplexed.

The blood bags were replaced again as they all waited for the tissue sample to be evaluated. One doctor from each team conferred, both looking at the sample numerous times. They approached the group, and Callen heard the CIA team doctor suggest a Mohs procedure, something Callen had heard of as a treatment for skin cancer. The staff doctor disagreed, preferring to irrigate the area first, and treat it with antibiotics to avoid too much muscle loss on the thigh. "The area is at least one inch deep, and 3 inches in diameter, meaning significant loss of muscle," he argued.

"But if you are wrong, the affected tissue may spread, causing even more damage," countered the CIA doctor. "Also, you may release more of the toxin into his bloodstream, and taint the new blood supply."

As these two and others on both teams discussed the options, one doctor moved slowly but steadily towards the IV that was inserted into Deeks' hand. Callen assumed the procedures were out of this physician's area of expertise, and he was going to check on other concerns. The hesitation and furtive glances towards the other doctors caused Callen's attention to focus on his movements, however.

Almost hidden in his fist, Callen saw a needle jutting out, visible only when the light reflected off of it. As the doctor brought the needle closer to the IV line, Callen crossed the room in two strides. He had made sure he could reach his gun after his conversation with Hetty, and now he brought it up to the doctor's temple.

"Hand over the syringe, or you're a dead man," Callen said between gritted teeth.

"I'm dead anyway," came the reply. As he jabbed the needle into the IV line, Callen hit him with his gun, knocking him to the ground in a tangle of tubes that were ripped out of Deeks' hand and arm. Callen quickly withdrew the syringe from the detached IV line, handing it to the doctor he had spoken to in the hallway. He searched the pockets of the unconscious man, and found a vial, handing that over as well.

"It's a coagulant," she said. It would have caused a blood clot that would have killed him."

"Make sure he gets a new IV bag in case any of it got in the tube." Callen grabbed the lifeless doctor under the arms, and dragged him from the room.

Sam was just returning from the other direction. He helped Callen remove the protective suit from the doctor, then zip tie his hands behind him. During the process, Callen explained, "He tried to inject a coagulant into Deeks' IV line to cause a blood clot. Maybe Granger and Hetty can meet you at the boat shed to interrogate him. I am not leaving Deeks. I enlisted one of the staff physicians to evaluate the CIA team's efforts to save him. We can't be sure this one acted alone. We better keep Kensi away from this guy, or he may not make it to the boatshed. Where is she?"

Sam sighed and said, "She was in such a panic that they gave her a sedative and put her in a room to sleep it off. They had a hard time, too. Kensi is fierce on a normal day, but this situation had her acting like Wonder Woman for sure!"

"I almost shot this guy when I realized he was trying to inject Deeks' IV. I hit him on the head instead so we could pick his brain. I want him to wake up scared."

"That won't be a problem. Hetty called Tuhon to come and help, and he would scare Attila the Hun. I'll make sure he is at the boatshed—with his knife collection," Sam promised. "By the way, Kensi is going to be pissed when she wakes up. We better get Nell down here to wait in her room. It's room 207. I'll call from the car once I get Rip Van Winkle situated."

Callen returned to the isolation room to find the Mohs procedure underway. He motioned for the staff doctor he had spoken with to come over and asked her, "Do you agree this is the best option, Dr….?"

"Asana," she finished. "Under the circumstances, yes. I am concerned about muscle loss—it may affect his regular activities, but there will be no activities if he doesn't survive." Callen nodded solemnly. "The area at the injection site, along with the blood vessels, is showing signs of atrophy that may be spreading. We can take a 'wait and see' approach after irrigating the area, but it may be too late to reverse the negative effects."

"All right. Thanks," he said, exhaling a sigh.

"For what it's worth, Dr. Stevens in particular seems to be trying desperately to save him. If he doesn't survive, it won't be her fault," she said, turning back towards the group working on Deeks.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Callen muttered under his breath. He was not ready to forgive anyone on the CIA team, no matter how badly they were needed. They had created this situation, after all.

The procedure took another hour, with the doctors removing tissue, examining the boundaries under the microscope to make sure they excised all of the affected area, then going back to remove more. I took three tries before they felt satisfied that the threat was removed, but had taken as little as possible each time to preserve as much muscle as possible.

Callen was able to see the area when he stood up, and he was instantly sorry he did. There was a virtual bowl cut out of Deeks' leg, looking like someone had taken a sharp ice cream scoop to his thigh. Callen felt weak just looking at it.

Dr. Stevens approached him and said, "I know it seems awful, but we really think it's the best option."

Callen asked, "What about the additional blood loss?"

"We are adding 2 more units past the transfusion total, and we will seal the wound against infection with a synthetic membrane," she said.

"What's next?" asked Callen. When will we know if he is going to pull through?"

"When the transfusion is finished, we will evaluate the head wound more closely and let the orthopedist set his arm. The CT scan showed a skull fracture with some swelling in the frontal lobe, but no bleeding. We expected his fever to go down during the transfusion, but so far, that hasn't happened. We may not know if he will make it for a couple of days. The injuries alone could be life threatening. I know he is special to his team. I wish I could tell you what you want to hear," she said apologetically.

"Yeah, me too," Callen responded.


	8. Chapter 8

_Thanks for keeping me aware loose ends I need to tie up. I have no formal spy training, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once!_

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"How is it that someone on your team tried to kill a man just now, and you don't seem too bothered or surprised by it?" Callen asked Dr. Stevens.

"Look," she answered, "we aren't like your team. We don't sit around holding hands and singing 'Kumbayah.' We haven't been together long, and we were asked to create something that I personally had an ethical objection to. Mark Thompson, the doctor you caught with the coagulant, only joined us in the past few months as an infectious disease specialist. He was the one who came up with the encapsulated viruses. After the vials went missing and we were all literally under house arrest, things were even more tense. We all started suspecting one another. I want answers, too, but right now my focus is on this man," she gestured toward Deeks and then joined the other doctors.

As Callen watched the doctors carefully wrap Deeks' head wound and lay cooling blankets over him in an attempt to lower his fever, he considered the Dr. Stevens' remarks on team unity. They hadn't always been this close, but the longer they worked, supported, and defended one another, the more they felt like family. More than family—extensions of each other, like the arms on an octopus. Any move made by one of them affected the others. The fake evaluation form had encouraged them to pull in different directions, each one relying on his own strength rather than making a concerted effort. That pull had forced them to reveal what they thought about themselves and each other, and only Deeks had shown humility and selflessness.

Never having known a real family, Callen imagined that was what it was like. Deeks could annoy the crap out of you, like a pesky brother. He seemed vain and self-centered at times, and Callen knew that if one of the team members had verbally asked him the same questions that appeared on the evaluation, Deeks would have been flippant and boastful. However, given the chance to produce a thoughtful, sincere answer without an audience, Deeks had blown them all away. Peskiness aside, he would actually sacrifice himself for his team.

Granger, Hetty, Tuhon, and Sam looked at the monitor at Dr. Thompson, who had regained consciousness in Sam's car. Perhaps the fact that Sam had driven at high speeds, barely breaking for turns, slinging the unstrapped prisoner all over the backseat had sped up his recovery. Sam had put a hood over his head before hefting him into the car, to heighten the man's anxiety as well as keep the location a secret.

"Does the CIA know we have him here?" asked Tuhon.

"No," Granger replied dryly. "I am sure they would want to control what we find out from him. They may even take him out before we have full disclosure, if it jeopardizes their operation or national security. We will probably have to keep moving locations if this goes on very long."

"That is why I have given Tuhon clearance to make sure he becomes compliant quickly," said Hetty. "We can deal with the repercussions later."

Tuhon grinned and nodded at Hetty, then headed in to the interrogation room.

Granger said, "Speaking of repercussions, Agent Hanna, what the hell happened with Blye? I understand she tipped her hand to Dr. Stevens, and had to be sedated. I don't want her anywhere near this operation. Henrietta, I think your team needs a new refresher course in protocol. I am upset about what happened to Detective Deeks, but this op is bigger than that. There are far-reaching implications, and we have to look past him and the team."

Sam growled, "We wouldn't even know about the biochemical if someone hadn't used Deeks as a pawn in their chess game. We didn't ask for this, and he sure as hell didn't either! If Kensi hadn't read Dr. Stevens' lips in the first place, we might not have insisted on staying in the treatment room, and no one would have see this bastard try to inject Deeks with the coagulant! The fact that Kensi did blow her stack probably made Thompson move more quickly, instead of waiting until Deeks was unprotected. Now _we_ are in control of the flow of information."

"I'd say that was damn good protocol, Owen." Hetty folded her arms, raised her eyebrow, and effectively ended the conversation.

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Nell was tapping her foot, wanting Kensi to wake up, yet nervous about it, too. She didn't want to be held responsible for what a frantic Kensi would do, and she wished Callen were in here with her. Instead of her, even.

The nurse had said that Kensi should wake up in about 4 hours, but all of them had been up for almost 24 hours anyway, so that estimate could be off. Nell knew that agents and doctors were about at the end of their endurance, and all would need rest soon. Unbeknownst to Nell, the doctors had begun resting in a room that was adjacent to Deeks' quarantined one, going two or three at a time for a couple of hours.

Nell stretched and tried again to get comfortable in the chair, finally succumbing to exhaustion for the next three hours. She never heard the door open, and the shaft of light coming from that direction only made her stir. Kensi, on the other hand, was used to sleeping with her guard up, and as she fought the residual haze of the medication that clung to her like a web, her "spidey senses" triggered an internal alarm even before the door stopped creaking. Her firearm had been removed when she was coerced to take a nap, but either Sam forgot about the knife strapped to her thigh, or he didn't want to leave her totally without protection.

In one fluid motion, Kensi grabbed the blade and flung it at the intruder, feeling gratified at hearing him grunt, which meant she had hit flesh. She let her momentum carry her into a cat-like drop next to the bed, then with a sweep of her left foot, knocked the feet out from under him. He was quick, though. He grabbed the knife out of his thigh, and threw it at Kensi, just nicking her left ear as it sailed past, giving himself enough time to spring to his feet. He raised Kensi up in a chokehold, only just managing to hold on while she elbowed his ribs repeatedly. Kensi was trying to twist away despite beginning to feel light headed when she and the intruder heard a click.

Nell had her service weapon against the small of his back. "Hands where I can see them and get on your knees," she ordered. His grip suddenly loosened, and Kensi stepped away putting her hands on her knees for just an instant, inhaling deeply. When she turned, the kneeling intruder twisted, grabbing Nell's gun, ramming his fist in her stomach. Kensi was close enough to kick him viciously in the jaw, sending his head flying upwards, and landing him on his back on top of Nell. Kensi pulled him off Nell and straddled him, punching him repeatedly in the face, while squeezing his chest with her powerful legs.

When she felt him stop struggling, she punched him a couple more times for good measure. She rose and nudged him onto his stomach with her boot, producing zip ties that she cinched tightly around his wrists from behind. She closed the door and turned on the light. Nell was sitting up now, her eyes wide and breath shallow. "Are you all right?" asked Kensi.

"I will be in a minute. You're the one who's bleeding," she said, nodding toward Kensi's ear.

"Good. It pissed me off just enough," she said, ignoring the blood and offering Nell a hand getting up. Kensi winced, her hands having withstood some damage in the fight.

Nell replaced her dislodged comms, and fished Kensi's from her pocket. When they put them in, right away Eric's voice demanded, "Nell? Kensi? Status!"

"Well, Kensi's up," began Nell. "I must have drifted off, and we were visited by an intruder. Kensi kicked his ass."

"So you're both all right?" came Hetty's voice.

"We're good," Kensi replied. The phrase struck a nerve with her, and all of a sudden, she felt all the emotions from the last day come cascading over her, like an ice bucket challenge on you tube. Deeks. Dying. Where was he? Her sudden inability to breathe was more pronounced than it had been while she was in the chokehold.

Nell, however, had all her wits about her. She strode over to the prone figure and turned him back over, snapping a picture on her cell phone. "Eric, see if facial rec gets a hit on this guy. Why would he come in to this room instead of going to where Deeks is?" she wondered aloud.

"Why indeed?" agreed Hetty. "He either thought you two might know something, or wanted to prevent you from knowing more."

"How did he even know where you were?' questioned Eric. "I'll tell you how," he said, answering his own question. "He's in the CIA database. Dr. Michael Stone," agreed Eric. "So he must have been working with Dr. Thompson…"

"Who?" asked Kensi.

"While you were sleeping, Miss Blye, one of the doctors from the CIA team tried to inject Deeks' IV line with a drug to cause a blood clot and finish him off. He is here at the boatshed spilling his guts, even as we speak. Only slightly literally," Hetty mused.

"Deeks—"

"Callen stopped him, Kensi," Nell assured her.

"Agent Blye," began Granger. "Do you feel that you will be able to function as a member of this team without further incident?"

"Yes," she answered, not trusting herself to say more without being pulled.

Granger sighed, but caught Hetty's scowl, and decided not to pursue his point. "You and Miss Jones can relieve Callen since you should be all rested up, and have Callen transport Dr. Stone to the boatshed."

"Go on, Kensi," urged Nell as she stood over the prisoner with her gun pointed at him. "You go get Callen while I watch Dr. Stone."

Kensi did not hesitate, afraid that someone would find a reason for her not to go. She went to the nurses' station to get some first aid for her ear, and grudgingly asked them to check on the knife wound on the prisoner's thigh. She showed her badge at the entrance to the isolation area, located the appropriate gear, and pushed open the door. Now that there were only two doctors in the room, Callen didn't feel as much in the way, and had moved his chair closer to the bed. Seeing Kensi, he rose and walked over to her with a sigh. She could see the weariness in his face as he raised an arm to place on her shoulder. "How are you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Surprised that Granger let me back in here. Callen, another doctor came into the room where I was sleeping off the sedative."

"What?" asked Callen. "Three of them went to take a break about an hour ago. Who was it?"

"Dr. Michael Stone—another one of the CIA team. Nell is holding him in room 207, and Granger wants you to bring him to the boatshed. Then maybe you can get a little rest. Nell is supposed to come back in here to baby sit me."

The whole time she was talking to Callen, Kensi was looking over his shoulder at Deeks. "Any change?" she asked.

He shook his head. "The transfusion is complete, but his overall condition…hasn't changed.

Kensi nodded her understanding. "Temperature still high?"

"It finally started to come down. They finished the procedure on his thigh. You are not going to want to look at that." She squeezed his hand that was still resting on her shoulder. "Dr. Asana can fill you in after Nell gets back. We are about to crack this wide open, Kensi, I feel it. Just hang in there." Callen walked past her to join Nell.

Kensi was grateful the two doctors had their backs turned to her, conferring over something on Deeks' chart, giving her time to look him over. His head was now bandaged, marked with a bloodstain she hoped wouldn't spread. There had been enough of his blood lost and replaced over the last 24 hours. He was covered in cooling blankets, which seemed like an oxymoron to her—blankets were for keeping you warm, right? His broken arm, no longer needed for a blood drain, was wrapped and put in a sling.

Kensi was horrified that her reaction could have made the situation worse for Marty or the team. She questioned for the thousandth time if it was possible to be agents who were in love, or lovers who were agents. _You had better keep it together, Blye, or you'll ruin this_ she thought.

Nell entered the room sooner than Kensi expected. As she came in and stood beside Kensi, her eyes widened and welled. "Oh, Kensi," she breathed. Nell was not at all worried about looking professional in that moment. As the two doctors approached, Nell whispered, "Do they know about Dr. Stone?"

"No, and don't mention it yet," Kensi instructed.

"I'm Dr. Asana, on staff here," said the familiar physician as she extended her hand.

"And I'm Dr. Zimmerman, CIA," remarked a tall blond male.

"Agent Blye and special analyst Nell Jones," Kensi informed them. "How is he?"

Dr. Zimmerman began, "We are encouraged that his fever is finally coming down, and we are waiting on blood test results to determine if he contracted any of the viruses that were encapsulated in the biochemical. If it appears that the transfusion was successful in ridding his body of the toxins, we can lose the hazmat suits and quarantine status."

"Besides that, the head injury is the biggest concern we have. Not the only concern, but the biggest," added Dr. Asana.

"What about his leg?" Nell asked.

"We are sure we removed all of the affected area," began Dr. Zimmerman.

"But he may have lasting effects from the muscle loss," finished Dr. Asana.

"What kind of effects?" pressed Kensi.

"It's too soon to tell for sure, but he may have a limp. He will probably need a cane for awhile at least. It is possible he can learn to compensate and return to his favorite activities, but it will be quite some time before he is mobile anyway. He will need extensive rehabilitation. Will his family be involved in his recovery?"

Nell reached out for Kensi's hand and quickly answered, "Yes, we certainly will."


	9. Chapter 9

_I am trying to get through all of the spy stuff, because it is so hard for me! I never meant for it to get this involved:)_

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Callen's prediction that there was about to be progress in the case turned out to be true. Tuhon, not surprisingly, was able to extract information from Dr. Thompson, and would have eventually learned of Dr. Stone's involvement even if Stone had not given himself away during the attack on Kensi and Nell. They had found two vials of a powerful sedative on Dr. Stone as well as another vial of the clotting agent, so they were able to conclude that he wanted to minimize the interference of NCIS while he disposed of Deeks.

Tuhon had principles that his tattoos and chosen associates seemed to contradict. But, if given the right motivation, he could use methods that were…effective. Ever since he met them two years ago, he felt a common bond with the three male members of the team—they all felt a sense of protectiveness and affection for Hetty. Kensi had been in Afghanistan at the time, and Deeks had wielded a blade Tuhon himself crafted for the daughter of his old friend Donald Blye. He knew if that girl had given it to him, that Deeks was worth a small lapse in decorum.

The CIA wanted the biochemical developed in order to use it on double agents that had somehow slipped past their careful screening, or were perhaps lured or even coerced into providing information for other countries. The chemical was never meant for widespread use, but would be used to "motivate" cooperation from these dangerous spies.

The chemical was at least a year from production, however, as Thompson's introduction of viruses made developing an antidote trickier. Whether to have a blanket antidote to counteract the entire serum or individual ones to handle only the toxins that were released was a real conundrum. At the very least, it was felt that dialysis would be necessary to rid the blood of the material allowing it to be manipulated by a computer chip, and no one knew what this material would do if left in the bloodstream very long. Complicated, especially in testing the serum on humans.

Whereas Dr. Stevens seemed opposed to introducing a bevy of viruses into the mix, Thompson knew that nothing was scarier to many foreign operatives. He had been working on producing specific viruses and their antibodies on his own before being asked to join this team. His excitement and enthusiasm in the project quickly developed into pride, and greed was not far behind.

Thompson had used a dark ops website, similar to the Chauvenet site NCIS had shut down, to market the biochemical. He never expected a buyer so soon, or one willing to pay such a price. Stone had caught him working to duplicate samples for a buyer, and Thompson either had to kill him or include him in the deal. The buyer knew that an antidote wasn't available just yet, but they thought they could put their own staff on that, given the chemical and microchip.

Not sure what country the purchaser represented, Thompson had arranged for the buy using a series of drop points and carriers monitored by a tracking device in the package. The pick up was handled in a commercial plane over open water, and its recipient disabled the device, protecting its final destination. Thompson was paid in bit coin through the site.

It was still unclear if the original buyer knew the biochemical came from the U.S. or not. Did they try and inject a double agent, only to have their operative killed, as the group holding Deeks originally stated? Was it just coincidence that they injected it into an American, or was it a ploy to pressure the government into exposing itself after such vehement objections to bioterrorism?

The team had come up with an op to expose the buyer. They had Thompson go back to the dark site, contact the buyer, and tell them an antidote had been created. Thompson was instructed to tell the buyer that because of pressure from his associates, the sale had to be handled quickly. Since he had been successful finding a contact on Chauvenet, the hope was that Eric could work the same tech miracle on this new site and trace the communication source. If that proved fruitless, then the team had a plan B: a vial of distilled water to be shipped along the same avenues as the toxin, with an integrated tracking device imbedded in the vial itself. All of this would only be possible for as long as the CIA stayed out of the op.

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Dr. Asana looked over the lab results and nodded. "OK, he is virus-free. We can remove the suits." A nurse came in and collected the protective suits from Kensi, Nell, and the two doctors, and a few technicians dismantled the tunnel leading into the room. "This will be considered an intensive care unit now."

Dr. Stevens, who had come back after two hours and relieved Dr. Zimmerman, tried not to look as tired as she felt, and the relief at the good news brightened her noticeably. She approached Kensi and Nell. "My instructions were to keep my team here until the threat from the toxin was past, but if NCIS and Dr. Asana will allow it, I'd like to stay. I know you don't trust me, Agent Blye, and I can't blame you. However, I want to make sure there are no residual effects from the injection. I will go wake the others and let them know they are free to go, then I'll come back and let Dr. Asana get some rest."

Kensi stiffened, trying to decide how to play for time. Stevens knew Thompson was out of the picture, but she may have assumed he was turned over to the CIA rather than being held by NCIS. She obviously knew nothing about Dr. Stone's attack and removal from the hospital, and thought he was still resting. "NCIS may want to question the CIA team first. Let me check with my superiors," she stalled.

"That won't be happening," announced a man wearing a dark suit who had just entered the room. He flashed his CIA credentials. "I have Dr. Zimmerman on his way back to headquarters for a debrief, but I need Stevens, Thompson, and Stone now."

Kensi decided not to relinquish any information. "I have been sleeping off a sedative for the several hours, and special analyst Jones was in the room with me. I'm afraid I don't have any information to share with you."

"I'll bet you don't," remarked the CIA agent warily. "SecNav expects a full joint report detailing our cooperation. I will be sure to mention you, Agent ..."

"Blye. That's B-L-Y-E" she said coolly.

"I will come back if I can," whispered Dr. Stevens, as Suit Guy walked angrily toward the door.

"What is it you're not telling us? What do you think could happen to Deeks?" asked Kensi.

"Dr. Stevens. NOW!"

Dr. Stevens nodded toward Dr. Asana before following. Kensi turned toward her, the same question on her lips. "Dr. Stevens is concerned about a buildup of the magnetic material in organs that filter blood, such as the kidneys and liver. Those could have retained some of the material from the injection."

"I thought you said the threat had passed," countered Nell. "That's why we took off the suits, right?"

"The blood work shows none of the viruses that were embedded in the biochemical have infected the patient, so there is no danger of a contagious disease," she corrected. "The other material was neither viral nor bacterial, so there's no chance of passing it on."

"What would be the result if there was a buildup of that material?" asked Kensi quietly, bracing herself.

"We can't be certain. He could produce antibodies to fight off the foreign material, raising his fever and increasing the potential for seizures. Another possibility is organ failure. It's something we cannot prevent, but we can prepare for it. We just have to wait and see."

"What would the treatment be?" asked Nell, hoping that hearing a plan would lessen the stricken look on Kensi's face.

"Well, we are already treating him with strong antibiotics for the ruptured appendix, but we may need to increase or change them if antibodies were formed. In the other case, we would perform hemodialysis to help filter the blood and remove any fluids not taken care of until kidney function could be restored," she answered.

"Why not just perform the hemodialysis now?" asked Nell.

"We are pumping him full of fluids to help flush out those organs, but it would be pointless to do the procedure until we see if that works," Dr. Asana reasoned. Her weariness was becoming apparent, both in her appearance and her voice, and she looked relieved as another doctor entered the room.

"I will return to see this through. Dr. Nixon is coming on duty now, and he has been briefed. Mr. Deeks is in good hands, and he has already proven himself to be strong," she said reassuringly, softening her always-professional persona.

As the doctor busied himself checking Deeks' vitals and then his chart, entering information into a computer on a stand near the bed, Kensi turned to Nell. "Now that the CIA team is gone, I was wondering…could I have a few minutes alone with him, Nell?"

Nell nodded and said, "I'll go find us some strong coffee," before quietly leaving.

The doctor, having heard, turned and said, "I am going to consult with the hematologist, and I'll be back in ten minutes."

Kensi was finally alone with him. What now? She wanted him to look at her, to smile at her, to reassure her that they had not shared their last night together. She wanted to lie next to him, match him breath for breath, touch his whole body with hers, and wake up in his bed. Wake up and shake off this nightmare like Monty shook off the ocean after a swim.

She would have to be content with touching him. She let her fingers trail down to his right cheek; his left one was swollen and bruised. She noted that it was still somewhat warm, although not alarmingly so. She touched his soft lips, parted by the breathing tube, and noticed they were chapped, probably a result of the high fever he had run for several hours. She got the chapstick he had taken to keeping in her purse and applied it to his rough lips, placing a soft kiss on his bottom one.

She ran both hands over his shoulders, and winced as her fingertips ran over the tops of the welts on his back. She would have to mention those to Dr. Nixon. Not wanting to touch the broken arm that lay in a sling across his chest, she ran her hands along the ribs on his right side, tears spilling over as she encountered the bruises and the tube left in place.

Pulling down the cooling blankets, she wondered when they had removed his shorts. She stared at the tube draining fluid from his abdominal area, and then she saw his opposite thigh. Bile rose in her throat, and it was all she could do to choke it down. She had never seen anything like it. Callen had warned her, but she was still not prepared. She wanted to look away, but for some reason she couldn't. Her shaking fingers continued their trek down the length of his body, moving to the inside of his thigh to avoid the large wound that replaced the black spot.

She couldn't put into words why she wanted to touch him, but she felt it was important. She ended with his bruised and slightly swollen ankles, marveling that there was damage to his entire body, inside and out. She covered him back up with shaking hands as she heard the door open.

Nell announced, "I had to walk a mile, but I found a gourmet coffee shop," and then she saw Kensi's face. She followed Kensi's gaze to Deeks' thigh, where the cooling blanket was askew and did not cover the large wound completely. Her eyes widened, and she set the coffees down. She pushed Kensi toward the chair, sensing that she may need to sit down, then walked to Deeks' other side and covered him completely. "You know, medicine is so advanced. We are all so lucky to have specialists here that can come up with a solution to a problem they've never seen before. Deeks may become famous for this." Her attempt at being positive and cheerful made Kensi smile, and she welcomed the hot coffee.

Dr. Nixon returned with a nurse. Kensi and Nell stayed out of the way while they checked Marty's vitals again, then his wounds. Dr. Nixon approached them and said, "You know, later there will be so much you can do, but for now we are certain he won't wake up. He will not be left alone, so why don't you two get some rest and come back tomorrow? We will call if there is any significant change. I checked his records, and both you and Henrietta Lange are listed as his emergency contacts."

Kensi's heart leaped at that news, and she wondered if Marty knew that she had added him to her emergency contact list even before declaring herself "all in."

Nell touched Kensi's shoulder and gently said, "You know, I don't think any of us have eaten since yesterday, and it's already 8:00p.m. You could come back first thing, Kensi, and you will feel so much better sleeping at home."

Kensi silently shook her head. "I know I can't do anything for him, but I absolutely can't leave him," she said as silent tears glistened on her cheeks. She laced her fingers through his without even realizing it.

The doctor said, "Well in that case, I'm glad it's not flu season. We happen to have an empty room with a shower just past this ward, and Miss Lange has authorized us to charge it to her. You can grab come wonderful hospital vending machine food, and get some rest here." He felt sure the beautiful woman was deeply in love with his patient. He had seen love pull people back from the edge of death, and hoped that it worked this time. The poor guy had little else going for him.

"Thank you so much," she said gratefully, wiping her eyes. She brought Marty's hand to her cheek, then her lips, and rose to leave. She turned to Dr. Nixon and shook his hand, saying, "My name is Kensi, and I am entrusting him to you for awhile. Let me know if there is any change—good or bad."

He was keenly aware that she was telling him, not asking him, and he was glad she was so direct. He sincerely hoped he had good news to share with her soon.


	10. Chapter 10

Outside of Deeks' room, Kensi told Nell to go home. "I am sure you will be needed in ops tomorrow, but I want to stay until Deeks is conscious. You go home and get some rest, and I'll rest here."

"Let's find something to eat at least," suggested Nell. They have yogurt and scones at the coffee shop. Come on."

Kensi was truly glad to have Nell as a friend, but she was ready to be by herself so she could deal with her emotions. The only thing stronger than her need to let go right then was her hunger, so she walked with Nell to the coffee shop. Nell wanted to go home and sleep for a couple days, but she was afraid Kensi wouldn't eat at all if she didn't stay and push her to do so. The two had a meal of yogurt, fruit, and blueberry scones. Not exactly a hearty meal, but it was satisfying.

Nell told Kensi she would stop by her apartment and bring a change of clothes for her tomorrow. Kensi turned toward the room that Dr. Nixon had spoken of, then remembered she hadn't told the doctor about the welts on Marty's back yet. Kensi walked back past the nurses' station at the intensive care ward, where the nurse at the desk stopped her.

"Ma'am, visiting hours are over," she said sweetly.

"Oh, well, I'm not visiting, but I have to tell Dr. Nixon something about the patient in room 210," answered Kensi, with only a hint of impatience.

The nurse saw the bandage on Kensi's ear, and remembered hearing about a lot of excitement connected with the patient in that room just before she came on duty. This must be the federal agent who had thwarted an attack by another agent earlier—how awesome! "Yes, well go on in. I'm Holly, and I'll be on duty until 7:00 AM. I understand you are staying in room 207 tonight. I'll make sure no one comes in to check your blood pressure or anything so you can get some rest."

"Thanks," said Kensi. _I must look as bad as I feel._ She turned and opened the door to Deeks' room, and discovered the doctor had removed both the chest tube and the drainage tube in Deeks' abdomen.

"Agent Blye…"

"Kensi," she reminded him.

"Right. Kensi, I thought you were going to rest. Did you get something to eat?"

"Yes, thanks, and I am headed off to get some sleep. You look like you have good news," she said excitedly.

"He is breathing better, and the abdominal drain stopped showing any sign of infection, so yes. However, he has a long way to go," he answered cautiously.

"I understand, I'll take any improvement at this point. I did want to mention an injury you might not be aware of. He has, umm, welts on his back and shoulders."

"Welts…like from an allergic reaction?" asked the doctor.

"No, not at all. He was struck with something. Maybe a belt," she explained.

Dr. Nixon instructed the nurse to replace the rigid breathing tube with a flexible one so Deeks could be turned on his side. When he and the nurse turned him, the nurse drew in her breath sharply while the doctor muttered, "My word! I am glad you mentioned this, Kensi. We will try to help reduce the possibility of scarring, but I'm afraid the skin has toughened over several already. There must be ten, at least."

Kensi began to look anxious again. "Could they cause complications, Dr. Nixon? I can't believe I forgot to tell you about them."

"Well, the ones that broke the skin don't look infected, and he has been on antibiotics at least. Was he...tortured?"

"He managed to escape even though they had already hurt and weakened him," she explained, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. "To find him, they paralyzed him so that he couldn't run—that's when he got the head injury and broken arm. Then he was kicked and whipped with the belt."

"While he was paralyzed?" asked the nurse, incredulously.

"Yes," Kensi whispered. The nurse and doctor lowered Deeks again, and then Dr. Nixon turned to face her. "He must be very strong to have escaped under those conditions. We are going to do all that we can for him—I promise."

"Thank you," Kensi said shakily. "He's my partner, and the person I care about most in this world. You could probably tell that already. What you don't know is that he, uh, he kind of volunteered himself for this to protect the rest of the team." One silent tear slid down her cheek, and the nurse had to turn away to hide her own welling eyes. She said another quiet thanks, then left the room to walk down the hall. Once back in room 207, she closed the door and headed straight for the bed. She barely got her shoes off before she succumbed to the emotions she had only been able to mask part of the time. She sobbed into the pillow until exhaustion overtook her.

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"Kensi, wake up." Did someone really say that?

 _Hey_ , she thought to herself, _Deeks must have been cleaning again. This place smells like a hospi…_ Kensi sat up with a start. She panicked when she realized light was streaming in through the windows, wondering how late it was. "Deeks!" she mumbled, looking around frantically.

"Kensi, it's all right," said Hetty. "Callen, Sam, Nell, and Eric are on their way with breakfast. I thought you might want to shower and change first. Nell dropped off your things at the mission when I said I wanted some time with you and Deeks before they got here."

"Oh, Hetty," said Kensi, putting her shoes on, "can we please go and check in on Marty first? I need to see him. I can't believe I slept so long."

"Certainly, my dear. I rather thought you might want to see him first. Lead the way."

As they walked down the hall, Kensi pulled her hair into a ponytail. Her muscles were stiff from the struggle with Dr. Stone yesterday. Was that only yesterday? Kensi's sense of timing was thrown off.

Opening the door to Deeks' room, Hetty had to use her years of covert ops training to hide her true feelings. To see her jovial, carefree liaison swollen, bruised, and quiet broke Hetty's heart. She knew this could happen every time she sent her team out into the field, but she was able to keep her personal feelings at bay in order to complete a mission. Knowing that Deeks had essentially volunteered to put himself in danger instead of his teammates deepened the affection she had always felt for him.

When the attending physician turned around, Kensi was surprised to see Dr. Asana again. "Doctor Asana, it's not your shift again, is it? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I'm not here for a full shift, but I wanted to check on Mr. Deeks. Dr. Nixon left me a message about the chest and abdominal tube being removed, and the treatment of the welts on his back. I want to personally check out any changes to his treatment."

Kensi was impressed by the level of care that Dr. Asana provided for Deeks. "Thank you for taking such good care of him," she said earnestly.

"How is he, Doctor?" asked Hetty.

"His vital signs are all good. We are continuing to monitor his kidneys and liver for signs of failure, but so far, so good. His temperature is down to 100 degrees. It may not return to normal until there is more healing in the wound on his thigh. His body sees a wound that size as a threat, even if infection does not set in."

"What about his appendix?" asked Hetty. "Don't you have to remove it? Can he withstand surgery?"

"Actually, the newest technique discourages surgery unless there's no choice. The antibiotics along with the drain seem to have worked. We don't want to put Mr. Deeks through any procedures that are not absolutely necessary."

"What about the breathing tube?" asked Kensi. "When do you think it can be removed?"

Dr. Asana looked at the chart again. "If there are no setbacks, then I will remove it when I come back on shift tomorrow morning. I want to make sure his lung is healed properly so that it won't cause a strain on his body. All in all, I think his condition is the best we could hope for."

Kensi felt a euphoric sense of relief. She walked over to Deeks and took his hand, bringing it up to her cheek. She leaned over and spoke quietly, "Did you hear that, Marty? You are so strong. You can do this. You are my miracle. Soon, you're going to open your eyes." Kensi found her own eyes were wet with tears.

"Indeed he will, Kensi," said Hetty, putting her hand on Deeks' shoulder. "Now, will you trust me to sit with Mr. Deeks while you shower? I'm sure the rest of the team will be here soon."

"Sure. Thanks, Hetty." Kensi felt so good and so grateful that there was reason to feel good, that she gave Hetty a warm embrace before going to shower and change.

When Kensi and Hetty met up with the others in the family waiting area thirty minutes later, everyone was encouraged by the good news. It made them feel like eating, and they feasted on take out from the nearest IHOP. Kensi was filled in on the team's progress in tracking the buyer of the biochemical. Erik was being hailed as one of the greatest tech minds ever, not only for tracing the source of the communication concerning a fake antidote, but staying one step ahead of the CIA and SecNav while doing so. Nell beamed at him.

"I was working off the same theory as astronomers who detected Neptune and Pluto without ever having seen them." He was met with blank stares. "You know, that the only thing that can make one planet wobble in its orbit is another planet? No? Well, there was a 'wobble' if you will in cyber space created by the pinging of the signal through so many decoy destinations meant to hide the origin. It requires a strong processor to handle these dark ops sites, so communicating through the site leaves a ripple." Everyone chewed silently, not sure how or if they should respond. "I tracked the bad guys to China," he finished, eliciting congratulatory remarks from his co-workers.

"So China _was_ listed as an enemy to throw us off," said Nell.

"Yes, we think so. Their resources are incredible, and they can certainly produce the computer components to control the chemical. They must have known the chemical was produced here by a government entity and thought the seller was holding out on an antidote. They wanted to force us to give it up, figuring if they injected someone on U.S. soil rather than outside the U.S., that we'd be more likely to comply. I believe they targeted NCIS and this team in particular because our position on the west coast afforded them many options for access. Our team has had so many successes at uncovering foreign operatives here, that I think they wanted a little retaliation. The evaluation forms were to ensure they would choose the team member whose sacrifice, in their opinion, would make the most profound impact," finished Hetty.

"Are we going after the Chinese?" asked Kensi, although she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"Kensi," said Callen, "they have us in a double bind. We can't accuse them openly without exposing the fact that the U.S. actually created a biochemical. There are no agents left who were involved. The lead agent killed all the others on the ship before getting into the chopper, and the ship and the chopper were blown up over the Pacific. No bodies, no evidence."

"What about the couple who pretended to help Deeks? Are they still in custody?" Kensi pressed, wanting revenge on someone.

Sam answered, "After Granger and Nell questioned them, they were being transported to a holding facility. Their transport was involved in an accident. Brake lines were cut. The driver was killed, too."

"The only people involved that are still alive are Thompson and Stone," finished Hetty. "After the CIA collected Stevens and Zimmerman from the hospital, we were forced to hand over those two. Assistant Director Granger was called to Washington last night to be handed his ass for holding and questioning the agents. We are fortunate we were able to get so much information from them in such a limited time."

"By the way, Tuhon says hi," said Callen. "He didn't stick around."

"What about the second vial of the biochemical? Weren't there two vials missing?" asked Kensi.

"Yes," answered Eric. "We know the CIA sent a crew to search the residences of Thompson and Stone, and they removed some items. The CIA is not exactly in a sharing mood right now, though, so we don't know if they found the missing vial or not."

"I'm almost certain the Chinese would not have injected Deeks with their one and only vial of the chemical. The probability that they produced more already is high. Having the ability to use a chemical to control the actions of a foreign operative without killing him, but having the power to kill him if necessary is attractive indeed," Hetty surmised.

"But we have to do something about it!" Kensi insisted.

"SecNav is working on releasing information to our allies about the biochemical and what we know about surviving its effects. It will be presented as though this was intelligence that we picked up and are passing along. Anything else would provoke too many questions."

Callen added, "I know how satisfying you think revenge can be, Kensi. Remember Janvier, and how that backfired on me, almost costing us Sam, Deeks, and Michelle. We have to let go of that—at least for now—and focus on helping Deeks recover. He's going to need all of us."

When breakfast was finished, the team decided to go and see Deeks. Dr. Asana had to come out and assure the nurse on duty at the desk that it would be all right for them all to come in.

Eric was the only one who hadn't seen Deeks at all since the whole ordeal started, except through the video feed, and he was greatly affected by his friend's condition. He kept thinking of Deeks surfing, free and fluid as he defied physics to ride a wave. In contrast, the ventilator and other machines seemed to tether Deeks unnaturally to the bed. He should never be this still.

Pulling Dr. Asana aside, Sam asked for a rundown of Deeks' injuries. Finishing the list, the doctor remarked, "Those are his current injuries."

"Ah…. so I take it you have discovered evidence of older injuries?" Hetty asked, having approached them.

"Yes."

"Well, we are in a line of work that is more dangerous than most, so I'm not surprised," Hetty reasoned.

"I'm guessing he was in a dangerous home as a child, too," remarked the doctor. "The fracture to his arm, skull, and ribs were not the first ones he had suffered in any of those places. Did you know he came from such an abusive home?" Sam turned to Hetty with a stern look on his face.

"I didn't know Marty until a few years ago, and I have always admired his _joie de vivre._ Nothing in his demeanor would have suggested it. I knew through some detective work myself that he had a difficult childhood. I had no idea it was as bad as that."

"Well, I think most of these injuries could have been attributed to sports, and were probably treated at different hospitals so as not to raise suspicion. Unfortunately, I have seen it before," said the doctor, who turned and walked away.

"Deeks was abused?" demanded Sam. "Hetty, why didn't we know about this?"

"It wasn't my information to tell, Agent Hanna."

"No wonder it took so long for him to come back to work after Sidorov," Sam remarked. "Abuse carries a lot of trauma, and to have it compounded by torture must have affected his recovery."

"Indeed it did. But, overall, don't you think Deeks' carefree personality is the perfect release for such stress? Maybe you will understand him better now."

"I'm beginning to feel like I don't know Deeks at all," Sam said, shaking his head. He approached the group gathered at Deeks' bedside. Kensi was sitting as close as she could, holding his hand. Nell was sitting on the arm of the chair with her hand on Kensi's shoulder. Eric sat on the opposite side, his elbows resting on the bedrail and his head in his hands. Callen stood near the window. "Eric," asked Sam, breaking him out of his reverie, "is there any way to retrieve the fake evaluation forms?"

"I already did it," answered Eric, to no one's surprise. There is an auto recovery system to make sure all documents sent through email can be retained within our network, so I pulled all of them. Do you want me to send you each a copy?"

"Please," answered Sam.

"OK, as soon as I'm back at ops," agreed Eric.

Nell had made the team aware that someone needed to look in on Kensi as she kept a vigil at the hospital, to make sure she ate and rested. So, when the group decided to head back to ops for the afternoon, Callen announced he would stay for awhile. He and Kensi sat and made small talk, all the while Kensi holding Deeks' hand. Callen began to feel that Deeks' face was looking less swollen, even though he knew the darkening purple bruises would be visible for a couple weeks. With things remaining calm, Callen was able to pry her away to go and have a sandwich around noon.

Returning to the room, both Kensi and Callen received an email simultaneously. "Read it and weep. That's what Nell and I did," read Callen aloud. He and Kensi pulled their chairs close to each other next to Deeks' bed, and they each opened the attachment on their individual phones.

First came the forms filled out by each of them. There was the question that started it all three days ago: "In the case that the team had a mission requiring one member to potentially sacrifice himself/herself, list the attributes you possess that make you the best candidate for the job." There were no surprises on the forms filled out by Callen, Sam, and Kensi. Their responses read like a job application, although both Kensi and Callen recalled their uneasiness with the word _sacrifice_. More interesting was the ranking of team members at the bottom of the form. Each of them had listed themselves first and Deeks second.

Kensi had not expected Deeks to place so high on the rankings. "Wow! Deeks was getting some real respect from both of you! You know, I've always felt completely safe with him backing me up, but I kind of thought you and Sam would list each other second."

"To be honest, I thought Sam would list me second, too. For me, Deeks made sense because he looks at situations so differently than the rest of us. I know what you and Sam will think, but Deeks has a unique perspective. Maybe that's what Sam was thinking, too. I guess we should let Deeks know how valuable we think he is."

"I know that would come as a surprise to him. It would mean a lot. A whole lot," she said, swallowing past the lump in her throat. Now they both clicked on the last form. They expected the responses from Deeks to be peppered with wisecracks and wit, with little or no serious content. They couldn't have been more wrong.

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 ** _The evaluation form will be out by the end of the weekend. I just didn't want to wait any longer to post this chapter. Turns out I broke the internet this week (or at least the rural Hughesnet part of it.)_**


	11. Sacrifice Chapter 11 (Evaluation Form)

**_Je espére que vous apprécierez ce_ _chaptire, ami!_**

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Bi-Annual Evaluation

"In the case that the team had a mission requiring one member to potentially sacrifice himself/herself, list the attributes you possess that make you the best candidate for the job."

 _Detective Martin Deeks: My attributes can be summed up in three words—Hetty chose me._

 _Nothing I could write about my abilities would ever propel me to the level reached by the individuals with whom I serve. The fact that I remain on the team must mean that my shortcomings do not endanger them or the missions we are presented with. To pretend that I could make an argument for my superiority would be true humor, and humor would be inappropriate here. I can, however, speak to the value of each agent to the team as a whole, and show that it could not run effectively with any of them serving as a sacrifice. So take me._

 _I am not the best or bravest, but I am confident that my team would figure out a way to bring me back. They are more than my team; they are my family. Here's why I believe in them:_

 _G. Callen—Never have I met a man with more integrity. Callen could not make a decision that was detrimental to his team or to his country. His moral code is admirable, and his ability to solve problems is without equal. He is thoughtful, careful, and compassionate. It has been my honor to learn from him over the years. The team would be crippled without his guidance and impeccable decision-making skills. Don't ask us to sacrifice him._

As Callen finished reading, he was overcome with emotion. Hearing what Deeks thought of him was both surprising and humbling. Kensi leaned over and hugged him tightly until he regained his composure. He reached out and put his hand on Deeks' arm, wishing the two could share a laugh over his show of feelings. They continued reading:

 _Sam Hanna—Never have I met a man who fights more fiercely for the things he cares about. Sam's capacity for affection is matched only by his strength, and he uses them both to serve this great nation that he loves. He has high expectations so that we are always striving to improve, and he accepts nothing but the best from his team or himself. Sam is the epitome of a father figure—stern guidance tempered with concern and caring. I am humbled by the example he sets. Don't ask his country, his team, or his family to sacrifice him._

Sam had waited until he got home that evening to read the forms with Michelle by his side. After the first sentence that followed his name, Michelle had to finish reading aloud. She had only seen her husband this emotional three times: at the birth of each of their two children, and when she had been rescued from Sidorov. When he regained his composure, Sam told Michelle what he had learned at the hospital about the abuse Deeks suffered as a child at the hand of his father. Michelle knew the disdain her husband felt for Deeks at first had evolved into gratitude, then respect, and finally affection. This didn't surprise Michelle at all, since she agreed with Marty's assessment of her man.

 _Nell Jones: Never have I met a more intelligent, intuitive person. Nell has an uncanny talent for connecting facts, figures, people, and clues. She will soon be able to handle herself as well in the field as she can as an intelligence analyst. However, her greatest gift is knowing just who needs a nudge, a hug, a smile, or an Oreo. Don't ask Eric to sacrifice her._

 _Eric Beale: Never have I met a more resourceful person. Eric can literally make mountains out of molehills. He can track anything that moves, and gain access to any computer program on the planet, regardless of the security. Eric is a peace lover, and uses his knowledge to help the team arrive at a peaceful solution whenever possible. He is a surprising soul who loves video games, surfing, and Oreos. Don't ask Nell to sacrifice him._

Eric and Nell sometimes felt like the only kids who weren't invited to the big party. Their security clearance was higher than that of some of the team members, yet they weren't always given respect because they stayed safely at the mission most of the time. Deeks had always treated them well—maybe because he was an outsider for awhile himself. When Eric and Nell had first read the form this morning before coming to the hospital, both were touched deeply that Deeks had included them in his assessment of the team. Their invitation to the party had come.

Kensi was not surprised that Marty had included them. She loved the way he treated everyone with care, from diplomats to the homeless. He not only saw those who were invisible, but he also had the knack of enabling others to see them as well.

There was one more description to read. Kensi looked at Deeks fighting for his life, and she was afraid to read on. These all sounded like eulogies to her. What if they had to write a eulogy for him? The thought took all the air out of the room, and Kensi found it impossible to draw a deep breath. Callen reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Together?" he asked. She nodded, almost imperceptibly.

 _Kensi Blye: I have never met a more perfect person. Perfectly deadly, perfectly adaptable, perfectly adorable. She is a kaleidoscope with endless combinations of talent, skill, and beauty. She can send a shot to your heart from 20 away yards while hurling a knife at your pupil. She can portray a Portuguese pop star or a naive country girl to perfection, convincing you with a twinkle of her brown eyes. She can shock you with a laughing snort or a roundhouse kick. Just when you think she could not be any better, she is. She doesn't always know what she wants, but when she figures it out, she always gets it. She is everything I have dreamed of, yet more than I deserve: sunshine and gunpowder. I won't sacrifice her again. Take me._

At the bottom of the page, where the team members were to be ranked in order of importance to the team, Deeks had put the final nail in his own coffin. He used the following rankings:

Marty Deeks

Detective M. A. Deeks

Deeks, Martin

NCIS Liaison Marty D.

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Callen and Kensi did not speak for a long while. Kensi laid her head on Callen's shoulder as she cried, and he kissed the top of her head. It was obvious that Deeks had a hard time trying to remain professional as he filled out the form, but then his emotions were evident in most of his actions.

Finally, Callen spoke to one of the doctors who had come in to check on Deeks' progress. "Are there any changes today? Is he still on track to be taken off the ventilator tomorrow?"

"There have been no setbacks today, and that's probably the best we can hope for. Dr. Asana will look over his chart in the morning and make the final decision, but it's best for him to start breathing on his own as soon as possible," he said.

"Will he wake up then?" Kensi asked.

"That's hard to predict, with the head injury and overall trauma he sustained," replied the doctor.

Around 7:30, Sam and Michelle walked in the room. They had come to sit with Marty while Kensi and Callen got a bite to eat, and to try and convince Kensi to go home for a little while. Kensi was showing Michelle Deeks' wounds and describing his condition when Callen pulled Sam aside.

"So, did you read the evaluation forms?' he asked.

"Yeah, G. I did. Man, that really got to me," he said, tapping his heart with his fist. "Hey, man, so we both ranked each other third? Are we cool?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," said Callen.

"I watched him get tortured, G. He was called weak, and I had just questioned his character. The type of pain he endured was unimaginable, especially when he was protecting someone who just disrespected him. He never wavered, though, never gave in. As hard as it was for me to watch, it was hell for him to go through. A man who would lay down his life for a teammate—many SEALS wouldn't have been able to withstand someone taking a drill to their mouth. I felt like I owed it to him."

"I just like the way he thinks," said Callen by way of explanation. "I totally trust all three of you. It goes without saying that you've got my back and I've got yours. "

"So, we're cool?" repeated Sam.

"Yeah, we're cool," answered Callen, grasping Sam's hand as they clapped each other on the shoulder.

"Wonder if Kensi's pissed we both put her fourth?" wondered Sam.

"None of us was ready to see her chosen for a solo op anytime soon," said Callen as they watched her sit down and take Deeks' hand again. No one was surprised that although she agreed to go have a bite to eat and go home to get some more clean clothes, she refused to leave the hospital for the night.

"Michelle, I haven't even thanked you for picking up Monty and taking him to your house. It will mean a lot to Deeks that Cam is looking after his precious pooch."

"He moped around for a day or so, but he's eating again," said Michelle. "Sam even threw a ball for him to chase today," she laughed. "Now you two go on, and we'll stay here with Marty until you get back. Callen, Joelle called and she cooked something for the two of you so you don't have to eat out again. Scoot on over there now—she's waiting for you."

Callen and Kensi each drove their own cars to Jo's so that Kensi could get back to the hospital after eating. Kensi and Joelle had not spent much time together, so Kensi was touched that Joelle would go to this trouble for her. "You are so thoughtful to do this," Kensi said earnestly as she hugged Joelle after following Callen inside.

"That's my girl," said Callen with a wink to Joelle.

"I can't do much to help, but I am happy to offer you a break from take out," she smiled. She had fixed a salad and chicken fettuccini, keeping it light and quick. Kensi thanked her again and left as soon as the meal was finished, apologizing for hurrying off. "I understand. If it were Callen in the hospital, I'd want to be there for him, too," Jo said.

When Kensi left, Callen pulled Jo into a tight hug. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, Jo, but I am going to try not to mess this up," he said. The events of the past three days had made them all appreciate those who were close to them, and Callen was no exception. Jo could sense the emotion he was feeling, and wondered if she would ever get used to the idea that every day when he went to work, there was a chance he might not come back. She had colleagues who were married to police officers and firemen, and she had heard them talk about it before. Jo had to be careful, however, not to mention his real line of work, making it hard to find a support group. Tonight, though, her focus was on this man she was still falling for. "I was wondering, since I know you've had a grueling couple of days, if you'd…..like to stay here tonight? I'd really like to be close to you."

"Jo, there's nowhere I'd rather be, and no one I'd rather be with," he answered, cupping her face and leaning in for a long, slow kiss.

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Kensi had grabbed some things at her place, then high-tailed it back to the hospital. The nurse who had worked the desk last night was there again, and greeted her with a smile. "I see they pried you away from here for a little while," she said.

"Well, he was in good hands, and he's had a good day," Kensi replied.

Michelle was applying the chapstick that Kensi left to Deeks' lips when Kensi walked back in. "Your boy has been getting some pampering," said Sam.

"Are you jealous, Sam?" teased Kensi.

"Hey, after the kids get their share, all I get are leftovers," he pouted.

"All right, you big baby, tell Kensi what the doctor said, and I will take you home and pamper you!" grinned Michelle.

"Well," Sam began, "Deeks is holding his own, and his temperature is 99 now. Looks like he will be taken off the ventilator in the morning."

"And…" prompted Michelle. Kensi looked from one to the other, her eyes wide with hope.

"And," continued Sam, "he actually responded to a voice command earlier. The doctor told him to squeeze his hand, and he did!"

Kensi's heart leapt for joy. "Oh, that's wonderful! Did it happen more than once?"

"Nah, just the one time, but he said over the next couple of days it will be important to talk to him to alleviate confusion as he regains consciousness. He even suggested playing music that he likes."

"Wow," said Kensi. This is all great news, you guys!" She went over and stroked Deeks' hand, wishing he would wake up at her touch, like Sleeping Beauty woke at the prince's kiss. After Sam and Michelle said their goodbyes, Kensi settled in the chair at his side and tried to get him to respond to her. She tried to convince herself she felt a twitch of his hand a couple of times, but there was nothing significant. While she was waiting her eyes began to droop, and she eventually laid her head back in the chair with her fingers still entwined in his. When the doctor and nurse came back to check on their patient half an hour later, they woke her to go back to room 207 and rest more comfortably. Kensi would only do this, of course, after they promised to come and get her if Deeks moved a muscle.

Early the next morning while she waited for Dr. Asana to arrive, Hetty and Eric came in the room. The three waited anxiously while the doctor looked over the chart from the past day, and evaluated Deeks' current condition. They were happy when the she announced she would remove the breathing tube, and ecstatic when the procedure was completed without any problem. "Now, I want everyone who comes by to talk to him, and when there's no talking, I want music played. Got it?" she asked, knowing this group would do anything to see their friend awake.

""Loud and clear. I was wondering, Dr. Asana, with the type of head wound Marty has suffered, what side effects might we expect when he regains consciousness? I want everyone prepared," said Hetty.

"Well, there could be a number of issues related to speech, memory, mood, or impulse control depending on the amount of swelling," the doctor answered.

"Could any of those be permanent?" asked Kensi.

"It is possible, but unlikely. This is the kind of thing where we just have to wait and see," she said. "I know that's not what anyone wants to hear, but it is best to be realistic," she answered.

So, they talked. The three recounted the first time they met Deeks, during an operation involving drugs in an MMA gym that NCIS and LAPD both worked, naturally resulting in friction. As each one had time alone with Deeks, they talked about a variety of subjects. Eric discussed surfing techniques and venues. Hetty discussed the importance of Deeks becoming an agent, and told a few tales from her own early days (they included some facts she would never have shared if Deeks had been conscious.) Kensi talked of trips they would take together, and even told him some raunchy jokes she had been memorizing to make him laugh. God, she longed to hear him laugh!

Kensi went by Deeks' place to get his phone so she could play music from his playlist during the few times no one was talking to him. She found Donny and Marie, the Beach Boys, and James Taylor, among others. Not sure she could listen to the first two for very long, Kensi chose James Taylor's Greatest Hits. The music was so mellow that it started to lull her to sleep. Even though it was getting late and the others had gone, Kensi wasn't ready to leave and go to bed. To keep awake, she started to dance to the smooth rhythm of "Something in the Way She Moves." She hung on to the bedrails like a ballet barre, stretching her sore muscles in plié before rising and sliding her leg through passé to developé. She closed her eyes and listened.

 _Something in the way she moves,  
Or looks my way, or calls my name,  
That seems to leave this troubled world behind.  
And if I'm feeling down and blue,  
Or troubled by some foolish game,  
She always seems to make me change my mind._

As the song continued to the chorus, Kensi was mesmerized by the soulful tone of James Taylor's voice, joined with another voice….wait, whose voice? She opened her eyes as Deeks sang:

 _And I feel fine anytime she's around me now,  
She's around me now  
Almost all the time  
And if I'm well you can tell she's been with me now,  
She's been with me now quite a long, long time  
And I feel fine._


	12. Chapter 12

Deeks turned his head toward the music and softly sang along as his eyes fluttered open and closed again several times. Kensi froze, afraid that she was dreaming, and any sudden movement would shatter the illusion. Deeks continued singing, his voice heavenly to her ears:

Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning

 _And I find myself careening into places where I should not let me go._

 _She has the power to go where no one else can find me….._

He heard her sniffle, and then his eyes focused. He found her. A lop-sided smile lit up his face as he locked eyes with hers. Her hands had flown to her mouth as soon as she heard him, to stifle the loud shout she was sure would startle him. Now she lowered her hands and whispered his name. "Marty!" She lowered herself to the chair as he lifted a shaky hand to her cheek.

"You found me," he said, unable to stop grinning. She kissed his hand then held it to her heart and leaned over to kiss his cheek. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. She placed tender kisses across his forehead and his mouth, then brushed her lips lightly over his bruised cheek. She was careful not to put any pressure on his ribs or his broken arm, which was bound to his chest.

"I am never letting you out of my sight again, Martin Andrew Deeks!" Her eyes welled like they had so many times over the last several days.

"Me either, …I'm not,…umm,…oh no…" his happy expression melted into one of embarrassment and confusion as he struggled to remember her name.

"Hey, it's all right. I am so happy that you are awake. Everything will come back to you, and then you'll wish you could forget!" she teased, hoping the first half of her statement was true. "I'm enjoying just looking at you," she said, trying not to sound concerned. She pushed the call button as she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.

"But..you love…I mean I love you and so it should just…I _know_ you…it's just away for a second…" his words were mumbled half to himself as he fought through the haze enveloping his mind.

"Shh, it's all right, Deeks," she soothed him. Suddenly a look of terror crossed his face.

"Run!" he yelled, pushing her away from him. Turning in the direction of his stare, she saw the doctor and nurse walking toward them. She had not heard the door open. Deeks lurched up from the bed, his adrenaline overcoming the weakened state of his body. He grabbed the bedrail with his good arm and tried to pull himself up, but the pain from his broken ribs made him cry out. The beeping of the monitors quickened, and the numbers for his pulse and pressure were increasing dramatically.

"It's all right, Marty. These are good doctors. I won't let anyone hurt you. You trust me, right? I love you, and I would never hurt you," she soothed him. He looked from the doctor to Kensi, puzzled. "Marty, the people who did this to you are dead. Every last one of them. Sam, Callen, Nell, Eric, Hetty, and even Granger went after them. We are your team." He was listening, his breath slowing fractionally. The nurse and doctor kept their distance, letting Kensi handle the situation. "No one here is going to hurt you or me. I called them in because you woke up. See look, they aren't wearing masks like the other doctors."

Kensi couldn't stand to see him so frantic—his eyes wide and hand trembling. As his fear subsided, his eyes began to open and close like they had when he first woke up. He seemed intent on watching the doctor, but he couldn't keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time. The heart monitor revealed that he was calming down, but evidently the scare had been too much for his weakened system to handle and remain conscious.

The doctor asked quietly, "How long has he been conscious?"

"Just a few minutes," replied Kensi.

"Any speech or memory issues?" the doctor inquired.

"He knew me, but he couldn't recall my name," she said quietly, rubbing Marty's hand.

"That's not unusual, Marty. I don't want you to worry at all. My name is Dr. Nixon, and I have been with you for two of the four days you have been here. Are you in any pain?"

Deeks shuddered, but did not answer. His eyes closed again.

"Deeks," tried Kensi. "Are you in any pain? Does it hurt anywhere?"

His eyes fluttered open and he looked at her, whispering, "Leg. Side." Then his eyes closed again and his hand twitched in hers before going limp.

"I think he's out, Dr. Nixon," Kensi said. "Are you going to give him any pain medicine?" she asked, the concern showing in her creased brows.

"Not until he can maintain consciousness for a longer period. The pain medicine would just make it harder for him to wake up," he explained.

Kensi did not like the thought of Marty being in pain at all, but she understood what the doctor was telling her. "I'd like to stay in here tonight if that's all right," she said. "That way, if he wakes up again, I'll be here to keep him calm."

"Well, I can't promise it will be comfortable, and someone will be in twice an hour to check on him, but I understand your reasons," he conceded. He was pretty sure she would have fought and won if he had told her no anyway.

Kensi found that the upholstered chair she had been sitting in was actually a recliner, although not a very comfortable one. She brushed her teeth and pulled on some soft yoga pants in room 207, then grabbed the pillow and headed for Marty's room. She was pretty sure the rest of the team would be asleep, so she decided to let them know in the morning that Deeks had been conscious for a short while.

Back in his room, she plugged his phone in to the charger, the play list still going. It made a nice background noise, and she was able to go right back to sleep each time a nurse or doctor came in to check Marty's vitals.

The doctor proved right about the comfort of the chair, and the fact that Marty did not wake up all night made Kensi's stiff neck and shoulders seem worse. She was able to go to room 207 and shower, letting the hot water ease her muscles somewhat, getting back to Deeks' room just as Callen showed up.

"Sam and I brought breakfast, Kensi, so come on out to the waiting area," announced Callen. The nurse who had just come in turned to Kensi and said, "I will come and get you if he wakes up. I promise. Now get out of here for a little while!"

"Hovering much?" asked Callen, drawing Kensi in for a hug. Seeing her wince from the contact to her neck, Callen stood back and held her at arm's length. "Dark circles, sore neck—you slept in the chair last night, didn't you? Kensi, you have got to take care of yourself, or you'll end up in the hospital too!"

"Well, things happened last night! Wait, I want to tell you and Sam together," she said excitedly, grabbing his hand and pulling him down the hall.

"Look who's coming in with a smile," Sam greeted her. "Good morning, Kensi," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Guys, guys, listen," she said breathlessly. Marty woke up last night! He was conscious!" she reported with a twinkle in her eyes.

"That is fantastic, Kens! Was he awake very long? Did he talk? Did he recognize you?" hammered Callen.

Sam tilted his head at his eager partner. "Let her tell it, G. In her own time. Whenever you're ready, Kensi."

Kensi drew a deep breath. "He started singing before he had fully opened his eyes. I just stood still and waited, and in a few seconds he opened them all the way and saw me."

"Singing? Don't tell me—" _A Little Bit Country_ \- Donny and Marie?" teased Callen.

"G—" admonished Sam.

Kensi smirked. "Anyway, when he saw me, he said, 'You found me.' He knew me, but…." She trailed off.

"He couldn't remember your name?" finished Sam, reaching for her hand. Kensi nodded. "Hey, you know that's to be expected, right? Even without the skull fracture, the trauma alone is enough to bring on some confusion."

"Yeah, that's what the doctor said." She sat back with a sigh. "When the doctor and nurse first walked in, he sort of panicked and told me to run. He tried to get up, and his heart rate and blood pressure both went sky high."

"He must have thought they were the same people from the container ship. I never thought of that. Did they have to sedate him?" asked Callen.

"No, I was able to calm him down. He did say that his leg and his chest were both hurting, but they won't give him pain meds until he is conscious for a longer period of time. All in all, it was just a few minutes. He was out again right after he calmed down, and he hasn't stirred since."

"Well, that's reason to celebrate," said Sam, passing orange juice cartons all around for a toast. "To Deeks," he said, lifting his carton.

"To Deeks," Callen and Kensi echoed. After breakfast, they went to Deeks' room. This time, there was a lightheartedness that had not been there before. They bantered with each other good-naturedly for several hours.

Dr. Asana was back on shift, and even she was smiling as she busied herself tending her patient. When she was checking his head wound, she noticed his eyelids fluttering. She had been filled in on Deeks' reaction to the doctors last night, so she moved back quickly, motioning Kensi to step closer. "I think he's waking up."

Kensi rushed over and sat in the chair beside him, leaning forward and grabbing his hand. "Deeks? Marty, can you hear me? It's me, Kensi. Try to wake up, partner. Sam and Callen are here, too."

"Hey Deeks," said Sam, standing on the other side of the bed. "It would make my day if you cracked a joke. It's been too quiet without you there to annoy me regularly." Marty's eyes were opening and closing, although it was obvious he was fighting to awaken fully.

"Hey, it's Callen, Deeks. Kensi won't let me play Donny and Marie from your phone, so I need you to wake up and tell her that I have your permission!"

At that, a slow grin worked its way across his face and Deeks made another effort at opening his eyes. "Knew you were a closet fan," he murmured. He squeezed Kensi's hand and said, "Hello, beautiful. I was dreaming about you."

"Um, TMI, Deeks," laughed Sam.

"Don't stop him! I want to hear about it," said Callen.

Dr. Asana cleared her throat to get Kensi's attention. "Marty, do you know where we are?" Kensi asked, wanting to prepare him for seeing a doctor.

"Yep-hospital," he answered.

"Right. Now, do you remember what I told you about the people who hurt you?"

He thought for a second before answering, "Dead?"

"Right again. So when you see a doctor, you know it's someone trying to help, right?" He nodded. "Ok, Deeks, I want you to meet Dr. Asana. She has been taking care of you ever since we brought you here." Dr. Asana moved out from the corner of the room into Deeks' field of vision. He tensed, but did not jump.

"Detective Deeks, I am so glad to see you awake," she said with a smile, and started to reach out to shake his hand. Kensi felt him flinch just a little.

"You trust me, right?" Kensi asked. He nodded.

"And you know Callen and I are here to protect you too," offered Sam, putting his hand on Deeks' shoulder. Callen took the hint, and put his hand on Deeks' shin.

Deeks nodded again. He looked at the doctor warily, but said quietly, "Hi."

"Dr. Asana was one of your doctors when you were shot a few years ago," said Kensi.

"I was shot? I don't…I don't remember that," he faltered.

"Don't worry about that, Mr. Deeks. It may take a while for everything to come back to you," said Dr. Asana.

"What happened to my leg? It hurts a lot."

Kensi looked at the doctor imploringly. She nodded, then injected some pain meds into his IV. "This should make you feel better, Mr. Deeks, but it will make you sleepy. Before you fall asleep, I do need to examine you. Is that all right?" Deeks nodded. "Kensi can stay right beside you, ok?" Marty patted the bed, feeling for her hand, never taking his eyes off the doctor. She promptly reached for him and held his hand between both of hers, trying to reassure him. The doctor checked his pupils with a penlight. She had her track her finger with his eyes. Then she had Kensi cover his right eye to check the vision in his left. "How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked, putting three of her fingers close together, like in a scout salute.

"Well, more than one."

"What's a number more than one?"

"It's, uh, you know," said Deeks, furrowing his brow.

"Can you count for me?" asked the doctor.

"Well, um, let's see. One…and I remember some others, but they won't ….I really can't," he finished in a whisper. "I just…it's not coming to me."

"What about now? How many fingers?" and she separated them.

"It's too fuzzy, not enough light," he answered irritably.

Sam could sense he was becoming agitated. "Don't worry about it,' he said, trying to put his mind at ease.

"Everyone keeps saying that. Stop saying that! I should know these things." He was beginning to slur his words.

"Marty," began the doctor, "you still have swelling from your head wound. It seems to be affecting your vision a little, and it's keeping you from being able to say some of the right words. Everyone is telling you not to worry because you have improved so much already. We just want to know when you can recall everything as soon as you want to say it."

"How long will that be?" he asked.

"I bet you can remember more each time you wake up," she said encouragingly.

"I hope so," he whispered, as his eyes closed again. "Tired." The pain meds had worked their magic on him.

Minutes after he fell asleep, Deeks' phone rang. Kensi noticed the name on the screen: Kip Brigham. Sam saw it and asked, "Is that _the_ Kip Brigham?"

"Well, someone had to teach him how to play basketball!" Kensi affirmed, nodding towards Deeks. Sam and Callen looked at each other and shrugged. Kensi hadn't thought to let Kip know what had been going on with Deeks over the past few days. She pressed 'accept' and Kip started talking without a greeting.

"Well, Marty-Mar? What did she say? Did she like the ring? Don't tell me she turned your scruffy ass down!"


	13. Chapter 13

Kensi opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Sam and Callen were alarmed at the bewildered look on her face, so Sam took the phone out of her limp hand. "This is NCIS Agent Sam Hanna. Are you a friend of Marty Deeks?"

"Agent who? Where is Marty? Oh, oh no—is something wrong? Is he all right?"

"Look, sir, I can't share information…"

"It's all right," said Kensi, able to speak again. "He and Deeks are old friends. I'll talk to him now." As Kensi took the phone back from Sam, she couldn't help displaying a ridiculous grin. Sam and Callen could not figure out what was going on.

"Mr. Brigham, sorry. It's Kensi Blye. We met at your house when Marty and I…"

"I know who you are—brunette, badass. Tell me why I am not talking to Marty. What's wrong?"

"Well, Mr. Brigham,"

"Kip."

"Kip, Marty has been- hurt. He's in the hospital."

"How bad? Why didn't someone let me know? Can I talk to him?"

"He's asleep right now. He was unconscious for four days, so it's been pretty bad," she told him, her grin vanishing. "He woke up for a few minutes last night, and a little longer than that today. It was really touch and go, but he seems to have turned the corner."

"Unconscious for four days? Oh, my God! Where is he? I need to come and see him," said Kip anxiously.

"He's at Pacific Beach Medical in intensive care. Are you in town?"

"No, but I'm coming back tomorrow. Hey, Kensi, who answered the phone when I called? Was it you?" he finished with an audible wince.

"Yeah, Kip, it was me," she admitted.

"Did I spoil everything? I can't believe my big mouth sometimes! I guess if he's been out of it that long, it didn't go down yet, huh?"

"Um, no. But I don't want to make any assumptions. Did you mean what I think you meant?" she asked, the grin coming back.

"I am not saying another word!" he answered. "I will be at the hospital after lunch tomorrow. What's his room number?"

"He's in room 210. I'll let Marty know you are coming. He's had some trouble remembering certain things, like names, so don't be alarmed if that happens. And Kip, he looks really bad," she finished, wanting to prepare him.

"Oh, my," he sighed. "Well, thanks for telling me, Kensi. I'll see you tomorrow."

Callen and Sam looked at her with wide eyes. "Well?" asked Callen. "Are you going to fill us in? Deeks is friends with Kip Brigham? Since when? You knew this?"

"You're doing it again, G," said Sam. "Kensi, seriously. Deeks and Kip Brigham?"

Kensi shook her head. "I was surprised, too. Deeks played it off like it was no big deal. I didn't find out until we had to interview Kip for that case involving the celebrity photographer."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember that. Why didn't Deeks mention it then?" asked Sam.

"He tried, but he probably didn't think we'd believe him." she said. "Kip said Marty was the reason he got interested in basketball!"

"I don't know about this," said Sam, shaking his head and looking at Deeks as he slept. "Wow. This guy is one surprise after another!"

"He sure is," said Kensi wistfully, unable to keep from beaming. She had not had a chance to let the information Kip revealed sink in. The need to mull it over privately made it easier for Callen and Sam to talk her into going home for some much deserved rest since the pain meds meant Deeks would likely be out for awhile. Sam was so antsy from being cooped up in the room all day that Callen sent him to get dinner, walking to a restaurant several blocks away. Hetty stopped by and ate with them, feeling very gratified that her team was pulling together so well.

When Deeks awoke the next time, all three were still there. He recognized all of them, although he needed a little help with Hetty's name. He also recognized the song that was playing: _A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock and Roll._ Callen winked at him, and they sang a little. Sam threatened to knock them both unconscious.

Deeks changed the words, singing, "I'm a little bit hungry. I'm a little bit thirsty too!" When they finished laughing, everyone felt this was a great sign, so Deeks enjoyed his first food in days—beef broth and lime jell-o.

While he was eating, Hetty asked Dr. Asana for an updated prognosis. "Well, he seems to be able to stay awake for increasingly longer periods, and certainly the fact that he asked to eat is a good sign. We will do another CAT scan in the morning to see if the swelling is going down. If so, maybe he can even get out of the bed for a little while tomorrow."

"That is very encouraging, indeed, Doctor. Thank you!" beamed Hetty. Feeling satisfied that Deeks was on the mend, Hetty bid them good night and left.

Deeks kept looking at the door, and finally Sam said, "We sent Kensi home for the night, Deeks. She's been here for 5 days almost around the clock."

"Yeah, she even slept in the chair last night, so her neck was stiff and she looked pretty tired," added Callen. "She's got to take care of herself," he reasoned.

"She has taken good care of me," he said quietly. Dr. Asana had approved more pain meds for him, and they were starting to take effect, as evidenced by the effort it was taking him to stay awake. "You guys, too. Thanks." His eyes closed again.

"Sam, you go on home to Michelle. I'll stay a while—so Kensi won't kick my butt."

Sam knew the truth was so that Callen could keep an eye on Deeks himself. They both felt a strong sense of protectiveness towards him now, and they also knew the dynamics of the team had changed dramatically. "G," Sam asked quietly, "do you think he'll be able to come back to the team? Physically? Mentally?"

"I think it will take a while. I can't imagine the team without him now. In terms of his recovery, it's hard to think past the next milestone. I'll just be glad when he can get out of bed, or walk down the hall…it's funny how drastically things can change in no time at all," finished Callen.

"Yeah, it really makes you want to hold on to your loved ones," agreed Sam.

"Aww, Sam. Do you want to hug it out?" teased Callen, coming towards the big man with arms outstretched.

"Get away from me, G," laughed Sam. "I am going home to my wife and daughter. Get some rest yourself."

As Callen sat down in the chair Kensi had used for a bed the night before, Kensi slept peacefully a short distance away. She had been floating on cloud nine when she left the hospital, wanting desperately to share Kip's comments with someone. She knew of two people—her mother and Nell—who would be over the moon at the news. Her mom lived closer to the hospital, and had wanted updates on Deeks daily, so Kensi drove there.

Seeing Kensi at the door made Julia fear the worst until she saw her daughter's smile. Seeing Julia's reaction when she told her mother of Kip's comments made Kensi wonder for the millionth time how she ever doubted her mother's character and heart. "Oh, Kensi, I knew from the first time I met Marty that he was perfect for you!" she gushed. "He takes such good care of you, and that's what a mother wants most for her daughter. It was obvious to me right away that he loved you." Julia's eyes were bright with happy tears, and she reached out and drew her daughter in for a hug. Seeing Kensi's face, she asked, "What, honey? What are you worried about?"

"Mom, last night he didn't remember my name, and today he couldn't remember how to count. What if he doesn't remember that he was going to propose? What if we have to start this whole 'thing' over from the beginning?"

"Now, Kensi, you said he knew right away that he loved you. He is already laying his heart at your feet. Maybe this friend of his can help fill in the gaps if he can't remember." They sat and talked a little while longer, but Julia knew Kensi needed to take advantage of this night away from the hospital to get a good night's sleep, so she suggested Kensi stay in the guest room. She enjoyed pampering her, having lost so much time with her during their estrangement.

Tonight, since Julia's husband was out of town, it was just the two of them. While Kensi soaked in a hot tub, her mother brought her a glass of wine. When she was relaxed beyond belief, she lay in a deliciously comfortable bed, dialing Callen before she fell asleep. Hearing that Deeks ate broth and jell-o made Kensi's spirits soar, and she was able to lie down without worry, having a gloriously refreshing night's sleep.

Kensi was back at the hospital by 7:00 am, and now it was her turn to fuss at Callen. " _You_ slept in the chair, didn't you?" She asked when she came into the room.

Callen stretched and nodded. "Does that make me the pot and you the kettle, or vice versa? I meant to get up, but I never did. Deeks didn't wake up again after he ate, so I guess he had a good night's sleep too." Callen left to go to the mission, but he told Kensi that he and Sam would bring her lunch so they could check on Deeks again.

"Humph! I know you are really coming to see Kip! Just don't ask for his autograph and embarrass me," she winked. Callen laughed and walked out.

Kensi meant to let Deeks sleep, but she just had to touch him. If it weren't for the giddiness, she could have felt almost guilty knowing what he had planned, like the guilt you feel when you know people are throwing you a surprise party. She hoped he couldn't tell that she knew! She thought of the long recovery ahead of him, and she knew they could face anything together.

She was lost in her thoughts, tracing her fingers absent-mindedly across his arm, and didn't notice his eyes had been open for a few minutes. "Penny for your thoughts," he said quietly, startling her.

"Hey there, handsome!" she smiled. "Isn't it illegal to pay a girl for whatever's on her mind, Detective?"

"Careful, there, Agent Badass Blye! You don't want me to go into cardiac arrest!"

Kensi shut her eyes, trying not to think of the two times his heart had actually stopped during this nightmare, knowing he was unaware of it. Her attention quickly latched on to the term 'badass.' Hmm—that's what Kip had called her.

"Hey, Deeks, you are going to have a visitor I bet you weren't expecting later today. Kip Brigham!"

Deeks looked very surprised. "The football player? Wow! How did he hear about me?"

Kensi cocked her head towards him and narrowed her eyes, trying to decide if he was kidding or not. His devious grin gave him away. She could look at that grin until her whole body melted into a puddle in the floor. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"Wow—what did I do to deserve that?"

"You didn't die on me, partner, that's what." She leaned over and started peppering light kisses all over his face, a soft moan escaping his lips.

"Seven," he said dreamily.

"What's that?" she asked.

"You gave me seven kisses—I _counted_ them," he said, pulling her hand to his lips. Just when she thought she couldn't smile any bigger! "Do you want me to recite my ABC's-backwards?" he teased.

"I'd like to hear that!" responded Dr. Nixon, coming in with a couple of orderlies to take Deeks for a CAT scan.

"I thought you would do that in the room like before," Kensi said.

"Well, we want to use the stationary machine to get the most detailed information possible," he said. "Besides, it will be good for Marty to see a little more of the hospital." Deeks' entire bed was moved for the trip to the imaging lab so that he only had to be transferred once there. Deeks had lain so long in that bed that it was both painful and invigorating to be lifted out of it. When he was wheeled back in, Kensi could see how the episode had exhausted him, so she was glad that his breakfast was waiting on him. He ate about half a bowl of oatmeal before falling asleep.

Kensi had a video chat with Hetty, Nell, and Eric while Deeks slept, and she promised to let them know the results of the scan when she got them.

A couple hours went by, and Callen and Sam showed up with fish tacos for lunch. They ate at a table in the waiting room, and were just finishing up when Kensi heard a man in a baseball cap mention Marty Deeks at the nurses' station. She approached him with a smile. "Hi, Mr. Brig—Kip," she greeted him, extending her hand.

He took her hand warmly and said, "My, my! You look as good as I remember! How is Marty doing?"

Just then, Sam and Callen walked up, grinning like two fourth graders. Kensi said, "Kip, this is Agent Callen and Agent Hanna. We all work with Marty."

Kip said, "So this was work related? You said he was hurt, but you didn't say how," he said, addressing Kensi.

"Yes, it was work related," she confirmed, not offering any more information.

"And I guess you can't elaborate?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "You mentioned that he looked bad and had trouble remembering some things. Head injury?"

"Kensi," said Callen, "why don't you go see if he's awake, and we'll fill Mr. Brigham in."

Kensi could tell that Kip had picked up on the guilt they all felt at Deeks' ordeal. It was almost like he was the whipping boy for the team, and that by his own choosing. She knew Deeks would not feel that he had done anything out of the ordinary. What a surprising man he was!

Deeks had awakened while she was eating with Callen and Sam, and he was now sitting up in bed, working with a therapist on his cognition. "Name five 5 rooms in your house," came the direction.

Deeks hesitated only a second before answering, "The playroom, el dormitorio, bedroom, the bouncy room, and the kitchen."

"The kitchen, Marty? Really? After all that?" laughed Kensi.

"Well, a man's got to eat to keep up his strength," he teased. Sam, Callen, and Kip walked in. Kip's eyes grew wide as he saw his old friend bruised and bandaged.

Kensi tried to lighten the mood by asking, "Name 5 of your favorite NBA stars."

"Kobe, MJ, Dr. J, Larry Bird, and my old buddy… Stephen Curry!" he grinned.

"Yeah, man, that sounds about right," said Kip, trying to smile. The therapist rose to pull Kensi aside as Kip approached Marty's side. "Good God, Marty-Mar. What happened to you?" He could see the bruised face, the wrists, the broken arm, but somehow he felt, and rightly so, there were more wounds. He turned to Callen and Sam. "I hope you got the bastards."

"Not as soon as we would have liked," said Sam with a grimace.

"Hey," said Kensi, walking to Marty's other side. She ran her fingers over his that were sticking out of the cast that had been placed on his left arm. "Good news! The swelling behind the skull fracture has gone down considerably. How do you feel? How is the vision in your left eye?"

"Uh, my head only hurts when the room is really quiet now. My vision is better, too. I'm only seeing one Sam!" Deeks joked.

"My, that is progress!" Kensi smiled.

Dr. Nixon walked in with a grin. "With all this help, and with the good news from your scan today, would you like to get out of bed and sit in a wheelchair? You can even take a trip to the courtyard and enjoy the sunny afternoon if you'd like," he added.

Marty didn't know what to say, but his smile made his sentiment clear. When the bedrail was lowered and the doctor helped him turn to let his legs dangle over the side of the bed for a minute, Kip saw the bruises around his ankles that were similar to the ones around his wrists. It was evident that he had been restrained and that this had not been the sort of "accident" Kip had imagined. The marks on his back were visible through the openings on his hospital gown. "Shit!" said Kip. "Will those be permanent?" Sam and Callen hung their heads.

"What is it?" asked Deeks, who neither remembered the attack nor realized his sore back was not due to whatever caused his head injury.

"Your back is bruised and marked up," Kensi said, not sure it would ever be a good idea for him to know about the whole ordeal. Due to the bandaging and the fact that he had been lying down for most of the past six days, he had never seen the gravity of his leg wound, either.

The doctor instructed Sam to support Marty's left side while Kip supported his right. Callen stood behind the wheelchair to steady it. Kensi threw an extra blanket over the seat to make it comfortable for him to sit in. With lots of help, Deeks was lowered to the floor.

"See if he can stand on his own," instructed the doctor. Reluctantly, Sam and Kip lessened their grip. Standing on his own, however was only possible for a split second before the wounded leg gave way. Sam and Kip moved in instantly, and basically just turned him around as Callen moved the chair right behind him. Once his leg was supported and his IV line was detached from the port in his wrist, he was ready to roll.

The whole ordeal was more painful than anyone realized it would be, and that made Deeks a little nauseous and irritable. He turned down pain meds because he didn't want to fall asleep with visitors around. The sunshine, however, worked wonders, and soon he was feeling better. He enjoyed catching up with his old friend, and he was glad that all of them were getting along so well. Kip had everyone laughing, and if there was one thing Marty loved, it was seeing Kensi laugh. She stayed close to him, and they held hands, stealing glances at each other when they thought no one was looking. Which of course meant everyone saw them.

Callen, Sam, and Kip debated a controversial call from a game Kip played in last year, giving Marty and Kensi a break from the conversation. He leaned his head back on the chair and she laid her head on his shoulder. It was so good to be sitting beside him instead of looking down on his sleeping or unconscious form. "Finally!" he said, "I get to support you for a minute. I know you must be tired of taking care of me. I promise I will not be this weak for long, Kensi. I want to be strong for you. You deserve a strong man."

"Marty Deeks," she said, sitting up and looking at him. "You are the strongest man I have ever known!"

"Aww, come on. You don't have to be patronizing."

Kensi sighed, swallowed, and smiled before going on, feeling ridiculously emotional and unable to steel herself against the tide of feelings rising up. "Most guys would see me as a threat—to their masculinity. They would want to try and prove they were tougher than me, or smarter. Guys don't get girls like me, and that's why there have been very few guys. You, on the other hand, are strong enough to let me be who I am without needing to show me up all the time. You allow yourself to take a back seat. Not because that's where you need to be, but because you don't find validation in proving you are better, stronger, faster, or the better shot. That takes real strength—strength of character, Marty. And you have more of that than anyone I know." Marty reached up to brush away a tear that punctuated the sincerity of Kensi's statement.

"Wow. I mean, wow," he said, becoming choked with emotion of his own.

Kip, Callen, and Sam didn't mean to eavesdrop, but their discussion about the call had ended during Kensi's speech. "Hey, man," Kip said, reaching out and laying a hand on Marty's shoulder. "This lady here has got you. You were right about her, Marty. And she's right about you, too. You took up for a skinny kid and made me want to get out of my circumstances like you got out of yours." Deeks looked at Kip with a knowing smile. Look at us, now, Marty-Mar. We almost have it all." He winked and looked at Kensi. "I think he loooves you!"

"Really? Pretty sure she heard that, Kipster," Marty said in a fake effort to rebuke him.

"Hey, would you guys mind if I have a minute alone with my old buddy? I can tell he's getting tired, so I'll wheel him right in and Kensi can give him a sponge bath before he goes to bed," Kip teased.

"That actually sounds like a good idea!" said Marty.

"Some things never change!" laughed Callen, as Sam extended a hand to pull Kensi up, and they headed down the hall.

" Marty, you didn't get a chance to ask her yet, did you?"

"Man, are you talking about what I think you're talking about?"

"Don't you remember I went and helped you pick out a ring? You were going to propose last weekend, dude!"

"To be honest, I wasn't sure if I dreamed it or if that was real. I have so many things floating in my head like that." Deeks rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes. The large bandage over his head wound had been replaced with a smaller one, but much of his head was still tender.

"Oh, it was real, Buddy!" said Kip, shaking his head. "You were going to take her out of town, somewhere romantic, and ask her to dance—then POW!" Kip finished by grabbing Marty's hand as he bent to one knee.

Marty laughed. "Well, I'm not sure that will be possible for a while."

"Have no fear, man. This time, _I've_ got _your_ back!" With that, he twirled the wheelchair with a flourish, and headed back to the room.

The next day, Deeks was released from intensive care, and the day after that he was sent to the rehab center on the hospital grounds. Sam, Callen, and Kip made sure he got special attention and did the recommended exercises on his own as well. Kip even had a trainer from the team come to the hospital and go over the treatment plan, making sure it was the best.

The guys had let Kensi know that they were taking over his daytime regimen, and she was free to spend nights with him. At first, he was worn out at night, and would sleep from 9-12 hours. Gradually, however, his stamina increased. Kensi thought she would go out of her mind looking at him sleeping, sometimes shirtless, sometimes with a thin white t-shirt on. He opened his eyes on the third night and saw her watching him.

"Kens, I need you so much," he said huskily. "I need to feel your skin on mine." She walked over and locked the door, then grabbed his phone and found his play list. She walked over to him as she undressed completely, stepping out of her clothes as she crossed the room. His hungry eyes feasted on her, and his heartbeat quickened. She lifted the sheet and made short work of the jogging shorts he wore, sliding them over his hips. He slid over to make room for her. They faced each other grinning, feeling like two teenagers who might get caught. They kissed, softly at first, then with all the urgency that had been building over the last ten days. Deeks held her to him, feeling the silky smoothness of her skin, waves of passion crashing over him. She arched her back, and he ran his tongue along her breasts, circling each nipple, sending shivers of delight along her spine.

"Marty, tell me if this is too much," she whispered.

In answer, he used his good leg to push himself on top of her as their bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. "You are just like heaven to me, Kensi," he murmured as he tried to slow down his pace.

She looked into his eyes and whispered, "I am yours. Take me," as her back arched and the two lovers floated on the tide of satisfaction. They spent the night encircled in each other's arms for the first time since Marty had been poisoned, kidnapped, and tortured.

When he awoke, Deeks knew this was the day. He brushed the hair off of her cheek and kissed her nose. Kensi grinned sleepily and asked sheepishly, "Did we make love in a hospital bed?"

Deeks answered, "Well, technically it's in a rehab facility. If they saw that, I think they would declare me physically fit and kick me out!"

"Well, that would be nice actually! I can't wait to get you home. Neither one of us has doorways wide enough for a wheelchair, though, so I guess we have to wait until you can walk.

"The therapist assures me that no one has ever made faster progress, thanks to my posse."

"Sounds like you have some really great friends. You must be a great guy," she said, brushing his nose with hers.

"I can think of something that would make me even better," he said, kissing her.

"Again? Slow down, rehab man! This place will be crawling with nurses in just a few minutes," she giggled, sliding off the bed. Kensi got dressed quickly and unlocked the door.

She stayed for breakfast with Marty, then left to go to the mission for a little while and catch up on some paperwork.

When Kip walked in to the rehab center, he saw Deeks with his hands on Sam's hips, while Sam's hands were on Marty's shoulders. The two were swaying slowly.

"Aww, that's not right!" Kip groaned. He went and moved one of Marty's hands to hold Sam's, bending their elbows at right angles. "It needs to be more like that! The other way is too casual, too high school."

"I guess a dip is out of the question?" asked Callen from the chair.

"I'm still having to support him too much," said Sam. If he tries to dip her, they will both fall down."

"So it's all arranged?" asked Deeks nervously.

"Yep," said Kip. "They are letting me take you to my house to complete your therapy there starting this evening. I have a whole wing of my house with no one in it, and there's a gym to boot. The physical therapist will work from there. As for tonight, there is a chef coming to make a gourmet meal and serve you two poolside."

"Where will you be?" asked Callen.

"I have to fly to New York later to make an appearance tomorrow, so one of you can help Marty get ready and the other one can get Kensi there," he said. The agents nodded. Ever since Kip had asked them to help Deeks prepare to propose to Kensi, they had taken on the task with gusto. Callen imagined it was like helping a younger brother.

Later that evening, Sam helped Deeks get dressed in a suit while the chef prepared veal marsala. Callen had gone to the mission earlier to talk to Kensi. He told her to go home and put on a cocktail dress, and that he would be by to pick her up later and they would go visit Deeks. Kensi did not even question the situation. The guys had all spent so much time together in the week since Marty had begun rehab that she was not surprised they had secrets.

Kensi of course noticed right away that Callen was not driving toward the hospital, but she trusted him. She was only slightly surprised that they ended up at Kip's house. Callen opened the car door for her, then walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Of all things, Sam opened the door! As a dumbfounded Kensi walked inside, she could see twinkling lights strung up around the pool, and an intimate table with two chairs on the patio. In the glow of the candle that sat on the table, she made out a figure—Marty.

"Go on, Kens. He's been waiting for you," said Sam.

She walked slowly outside and saw Marty wearing a navy suit, white shirt, and cornflower blue tie. The tie accentuated his blue eyes, and the fact that he was wearing her favorite color was not lost on Kensi. She, in turn, was wearing a stunning flesh-colored dress that hugged her curves and made Marty catch his breath. Her hair was swept up, with tendrils that had escaped and framed her face alluringly. She knew Deeks loved it when she wore her hair up because he enjoyed taking it down.

They seemed almost shy around each other, but the conversation finally got started with Deeks explaining the rehab plan to Kensi. Not only was the gym at Kip's a good one, but the pool could also be used once his leg wound healed a little more. They were served a perfect meal, and Kensi thought this was the best night of her life.

When they were enjoying a glass of wine after the fabulous meal, the music playing on Kip's ridiculously fabulous sound system seemed to catch Deeks' attention. He held on to the table and slowly used his right leg to support himself as he stood up. His left leg was used for balance, although it couldn't sustain much weight yet. He reached across the table and took Kensi's hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked, raising her hand to his lips as she stood up and stepped closer.

"Marty, is this what you've been working on?" He winked at her and pulled her to him and placed her arms on his shoulders. He sang along with James Taylor:

I close my eyes at night, wondering where would I be without you in my life

 _Everything I did was just a bore. Everywhere I went, it seems I've been there before._

 _But you brighten up for me all of my days with love so sweet in so many ways_

 _I want to stop and thank you, Baby. I want to stop and thank you, Baby._

 _How sweet it is to be loved by you—feels so fine. How sweet it is to be loved by you!_

Kensi couldn't look away from him. He was actually an awesome singer! She thought this night had been so very perfect. Then he cleared his throat.

"Kensi, I want to thank you for taking care of me over the last couple weeks. I hate that you had to be put through a situation like that, but I am so grateful that you were there when I woke up. You pulled me through. I will never take you for granted, Kensi. You have fulfilled every dream I ever had, and even some I didn't dare to let myself dream! I can't remember a time that I didn't love you, and I can't imagine a time that I won't love you until I leave this earth. I want to spend the rest of my life waking up to the most incredible woman in the world, but not Kensi Blye. I want to wake up with Kensi Deeks. Kensi, will you marry me?" he finished in a whisper, his mouth near her ear as she had pulled him closer while he spoke.

They were both trembling, and their tears mingled as they pressed together. "Oh, Marty, I love you so much! I would love to marry you!" He tenderly traced his thumb along her cheekbone before his lips sough hers in the most perfect kiss. Then he reached in his pocket and retrieved a box. He stepped back and bent one leg, holding up his left leg rather than kneeling on it. He opened it and held it up to Kensi .


	14. Chapter 14

She was surprised that she had any tears left, or that she could see at all through them. She was immediately struck by the ring's color. Around the collar of the perfect princess cut diamond solitaire was a circle of cornflower blue tanzanite stones. "Marty, it's amazing!" She admired the ring for so long that she didn't notice that his leg was shaking.

"Um, Kens, a little help here," he said with obvious strain. She reached for him a split second too late, and he ended up pulling her down with him after snapping her finger in the box. Luckily, no one's head hit the concrete, and no damage was done to Deeks' leg.

"Oww! My finger!" she giggled, ending up on top of him. They both laughed long and hard, contrasting with the seriousness of the evening. When they regained their composure, he reached up and brushed a tendril from her face, whispering, "Your smile is so perfect. I'm always at home when I'm with you."

"For me there's you and there ain't nobody else!" she said, deliriously happy, echoing the words of the song he had sung to her. "All right, methinks we should get up," she said, rising to stand over Deeks.

"I am rather enjoying this view, if it's all the same to you!" he quipped, raising up on his elbow and lifting his eyebrows as he looked up her skirt. She smiled and stood long enough for him to get an eyeful before stepping back and offering her support so that he could stand up. The dancing, bending, and falling, however, had taken a toll on his stamina, and he needed help to make it to the wheelchair, sitting down gratefully in it.

Kensi sat at the table once again with Deeks beside her. She opened the ring box and stared at it. He was thrilled that she really seemed to like the unique ring. "In some countries, they even wear their engagement rings!" he teased. He took it from the box and slid it on her finger. It fit perfectly, of course.

"I have never seen anything so beautiful, Deeks. Where did you find it?"

"I had it made for you- weeks ago, according to Kip. Not that I don't remember wanting to go and get it, or what I had in mind for the design, I just can't recall how long ago it was really."

"That's all right," she smiled. His memory had come a long way, but the doctor said there may still be holes in it, particularly the time leading up to the incident.

"I wanted a princess cut for my princess," he grinned," and of course something in your favorite color to remind you that nobody knows you better than I do," he winked.

"OK, if you know me so well, then why is that my favorite color?" she smirked.

"You had a dog named Blue," he ventured. She shook her head and grinned. "It's the color of mold on a donut that's just a little too old to eat." Again she shook her head. "Hmm… the color of the spark from a sniper rifle in the dark?" he tried.

"No, but that's actually good! I love this shade of blue because it's the exact color of your eyes," she declared, leaning over to kiss him.

"I really did not think of that," he said, his lips against hers. "I hear you say that you love me that much, but it's hard for me to believe. Maybe it's true after all!"

"Oh it's true, Blue Eyes! I've been waiting for you my whole life," she sighed against his ear. Kensi had no idea how long the guys had been preparing for this evening, but she could tell how tired Deeks was, so she suggested they turn in. He conceded to let her push the wheelchair as he directed her to the bedroom in the section of the house Kip had graciously offered to them during his convalescence. She was very impressed. It was actually a suite with a lounging area and its own luxurious bathroom. Kensi stood by as Deeks undressed, taking the clothes and hanging them up as he took them off. His bruises were only slightly visible now, but even their faint brownish hue across his chest made him look a little like a patchwork quilt. He watched her slip out of her dress, then put on one of the extra t-shirts Sam had picked up for him at his apartment.

"Man, how do you make a t-shirt look that good?" he asked, turning to face her as she joined him in bed.

"Boobs," she answered simply.

"All righty then!" he chuckled. He pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin with his arm supporting her neck. "Kensi, what happened to me? I mean, I have these images and I'm not sure if they are memories, or dreams, or hallucinations. I don't know what happened to my leg, but it must have been bad. There's a big piece missing from it. I still can't stand up for long. I don't know when I'll get to surf again—I think I'll need a cane for a while. I don't mean to complain, I mean, I am thankful to be alive, but I'd just like to know."

"Why don't you tell me what you remember first?" she suggested.

"I remember I was in a room that was cold and narrow, and…something was wrong with it. Like, it wasn't a regular hospital room. But, there were doctors there, right?" She nodded. "So I was sick? My leg hurt even then. I remember that the whole time. What was I doing there? Why did they want to….wait, I remember seeing you! On a screen, right?" She nodded again. "I didn't want you to see me. I was…tied down…" His breath had become rapid, and Kensi wasn't sure how to satisfy his curiosity and calm him at the same time. She let him talk. "I remember a pain in my—wait a minute!" he frantically threw off the sheet, pushing Kensi out of the way in the process. He pulled down his shorts and looked at the wound from the incision where the drainage tube had been inserted into his abdomen. He fingered the scar and furrowed his brow as he tried to sync his scattered thoughts with reality. "Here, here…it hurt like hell! On purpose…they didn't want information like Sidorov did, though, did they?" He was talking more to himself than to Kensi. "What did they want? Was it retaliation? A trick to lure the rest of the team out? Am I still the weakest link?" He looked at her imploringly. "What did I do?"

"Deeks, you didn't do anything! They injected you with a biochemical that had no antidote. They wanted us to find the antidote for them. They knew we would work hard to save you. The chemical made it possible for them to…to hurt you, and they made us watch so we would work harder and faster." Kensi was trembling, and Deeks could tell how hard it was to recount the ordeal, although he knew he was getting the abridged version. "Your leg—that's where the chemical was injected. The doctors had to remove a whole area near the injection site to make sure it was gone."

Deeks lay back on the pillows, worn out. Kensi sat facing him, looking over his torso at the fading bruises. She reached for a tube of scar cream in her bag on the bedside table, applying some to the scar on his abdomen tenderly while his eyes searched her face. Her attention turned to his chest. "This," she said, running her fingers over a scar in the middle of the largest, fading bruise on his ribcage, "is where the chest tube was inserted for the collapsed lung you suffered when were kicked so hard that your ribs broke and punctured it," she said in a trembling voice. "You were kicked after the chemical was used to paralyze you because you managed to escape. You escaped even though you were restrained, and they had used the chemical to cause your appendix to rupture. Not exactly weak. Now turn over."

Her voice was barely more than a whisper now, yet he still felt compelled to do whatever she asked without question, realizing she was still coming to terms with the recent events herself. He carefully turned over and lay on his stomach. As she had done often over the past week or so, Kensi began applying the scar cream to the marks on his back. Until now, however, she had tried to make light of the task. Until now, he had not felt her warm tears peppering his back, contrasting with the cool cream. He had imagined he was scraped up in a fall somehow. "These, um, marks on your back, came from someone hitting you with a belt or a stick when you couldn't move. Your skull was fractured and your arm was broken, your lung was punctured, and you were paralyzed…but they hit you anyway _over and over and_ …" Deeks turned over onto his back again as Kensi collapsed in his arms.

"Shh, Baby, shhh," he soothed her, stroking her hair. "It's all right now. Everything's all right. I am so sorry you had to go through that, Kens, and I'm sorry I made you talk about it. I should have asked Callen or Sam. I am fine, Kensi, shhh." He really hated to end the glorious evening on a sad note. Whereas he would normally perform some wacky antic or come up with something witty to make her laugh, Marty was just too tired. There was a definite sweetness in the moment, however, and he was touched at the depth of emotion Kensi was displaying. They fell asleep with her head on his chest.

When Kensi woke up, Deeks was already up and out of bed, and the wheelchair was nowhere in sight. She walked toward the kitchen and the smell of coffee, approaching him from behind when she heard him talking on his cell phone. "Yeah, man, she loved it!" he said. "It was the perfect night until we fell! No, seriously, my leg started shaking, she reached for me, I snapped her finger in the box, and she fell on top of me. Classic, man! That's what I will remember forever." Kensi felt guilty for listening, but she loved hearing his description. She was just about to make her presence known when he said, "Really? I don't know, Kipster, maybe I'm just tired. I've been up for hours. My back is aching….Yeah, maybe it was the fall. I don't feel like doing the therapy, but I will…there are bound to be high points and low points, and this is just a low point I guess. No, Mom, I am not telling Kensi. She um told me about what happened to me, and it was, uh, pretty emotional for her…As far as she is concerned, I am fit as a fiddle! So, you're at JFK? Ok, I'll see you later today, then."

Deeks ended the call, sighed, and ran his hands through his hair. Kensi, who had stepped back into the hall as he was saying goodbye to Kip, now walked into the kitchen saying, "Is that coffee I smell?"

"Come and get it, Morning Glory!" he grinned at her.

"You haven't even had any yet, Marty," she said, surprised.

"I, um, was waiting for you," he said unconvincingly. Kensi suspected he couldn't figure out how to carry a hot cup of coffee to the table without spilling it. She smiled, poured him a cup, and sat beside him.

"How long have you been up?" she asked casually.

"Not too long. Kip called, and he forgot the time difference from New York. Hey, do you think my leg is healed enough to get in the pool?" he asked, changing the subject.

"We better wait and talk to the doctor first," she advised. "You go back for a checkup later this week. Hey," she said brightly, "I know the physical therapist is coming after lunch. Why don't you go and rest a little more while you can? After your session, maybe you'll feel like getting out for a bit."

"That's actually…that's a good idea," he said, turning the wheelchair around. Kensi started to follow him, but he said, "Thanks, but I can do it. You sit here and enjoy your coffee." He wheeled back and kissed her. His lips felt warm, and when she looked into his face, his eyes were ringed with dark circles. Kensi forced herself not to comment, knowing that he wanted to seem strong and healthy.

He had left his phone on the table, and she considered calling Kip right back and telling him to make Marty get checked out by the doctor. It felt wrong to use his phone and his contact list without asking him. However, this was a special circumstance, right? She was wrestling with her conscience when her own phone rang, showing a private number. When she answered it, she heard, "So this is the future Mrs. Deeks? Good morning, Beautiful! I hope you don't mind, but Marty gave me your number this week in case I needed it."

"Kip, I'm so glad you called," answered Kensi. "I wanted to talk to you anyway. This morning when you were talking to Marty, I walked in from the hallway and heard a little of the conversation. He doesn't know it, though. I'm worried about him."

"Me too. That's why I'm calling. I told him he sounded a hundred years old! He said he didn't want to worry you. Maybe last night was just too much for him."

"Oh, Kip, it was perfect! Thank you for everything. I appreciate you letting us stay here

until Marty can get around better. And you did a great job coaching him! He didn't step on my feet once!"

"Well, you have to give Callen and Sam some credit there, too. They have been great. Are they coming over during therapy today? Maybe they can get him to go to the doctor," Kip suggested.

"That's a good idea. Why don't you call Sam and explain the symptoms Marty mentioned? He will think I am just being over-protective."

"OK, I'll do that. Marty didn't want you to know anyway, so it will be better coming from me. Hey, he said you were pretty emotional telling him about what happened to him. Anything you care to share?"

"It was awful to live through it, but I was sort of like in survival mode at the time, you know? I couldn't let myself get too emotional then. Telling him about it, though, was really hard. Hearing those words coming out of my mouth made me relive it. We tried to help him faster, Kip, we really did. I would tell you everything, but there are national security issues involved, and I can't. "

Kip could tell she was getting emotional, and after what Marty had told him, he didn't want to upset her more. "Kensi, now that I know you and the rest of the team, I have no doubt that you worked hard to save Marty. He has the highest regard for all of you, and I do, too. Hey, I'm sure he was right about having a low point today, and that there's nothing major wrong with him. He said his backache might be a result of taking a spill last night. Were you just trying to jump his bones? Couldn't wait to get to the bedroom, huh?"

Kensi chuckled. "We laughed so hard! Did you know he could sing? I couldn't believe it after hearing him caterwauling with the radio!"

"I know he told you he was in a band, Kensi! He has a great voice, if you like _that_ kind of music," said Kip.

"What kind of music?" she asked.

"You know—soft, non-rapping, _white_ people music!" he finished with a laugh. He could tell Kensi was feeling a little better. "Hey, they are boarding my flight now, Kensi, so I will try to hurry and call Sam before I have to shut off my phone. I will be home tonight, and we can look after him together."

"OK, Kip, and thanks so much. See you tonight."

Kensi busied herself around Kip's house, tidying up, even though she knew it wasn't necessary. She made phone calls, talking to her mother, Nell, and Hetty. She didn't tell any of them about Deeks not feeling well, deciding to wait until Sam came in and looked at him so she wouldn't be guilty of over-reacting. She went to Kip's gym for a workout herself, then showered, walking past Deeks, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Then she sat on the couch to read for a little while. She didn't intend on napping.

When the doorbell rang, Kensi was jolted awake. When she opened the door, Sam asked, "Where's Deeks?" walking past her.

Callen followed Sam into the house saying, "Congratulations, Kensi! I take it you said yes," he finished as he took her left hand in his and gestured toward the ring.

"G—we knew she would say yes. Where's your fiancé, Kensi?" he smiled.

"He went to lay down, but that was a couple hours ago. I checked on him when I took a shower, and he was still asleep," she said. She led the two men through the house to the suite she and Deeks were sharing. Callen let out a low whistle to show his opinion of the suite as they walked through the living area to the bedroom, but Sam remained focused. Deeks was still in bed, but he was no longer sleeping peacefully. His eyes were half opened, and his mouth worked as if he were trying to form words that wouldn't come out. He was moving slowly, as if he was trying to sit up, but couldn't. Sam quickly turned on a lamp by the bed, while Kensi moved to open the curtains.

Deeks showed no reaction to the change in lighting. Sam sat down in a chair by the bed while Kensi moved to the other side and sat beside him. "Deeks," said Sam softly. "How's it going, Shaggy?" Deeks turned his head toward Sam, although he didn't make eye contact. Sam noticed perspiration on his face, and his skin seemed a sickly shade of grayish yellow. He whispered something that Sam almost missed.

"Please don't tell Kensi," he implored just before he went limp.


	15. Chapter 15

"Marty!" screamed Kensi. "No, please-help him Sam!" she choked. She couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. How could she have fallen asleep without checking on him?

Sam felt Deeks' throat for a pulse. His fingers lingered there so long that Callen reached for Kensi's hand and squeezed it. Then Sam put his ear to Deeks' chest before saying, "Pulse is very weak. Respirations are shallow. Help me lower his head and raise his legs." He gently lifted Deeks' head so Kensi could pull the pillow out from under him. She gave that pillow and the one from her side of the bed to Callen, who lifted Marty's legs and propped them up. "He's burning up, too. Kensi, get some wet cloths." When she walked out, Sam looked at Callen and said, "G, call Hetty and get some medical help fast. I'm afraid he's going to crash."

Kensi came back in with several damp washcloths as Josh, the physical therapist, called out from the other room. He had come by for Deeks' appointment and let himself in. Callen hurriedly ushered him into the bedroom. Thankfully, he had a medical bag with him. "Josh, take his blood pressure, please," asked Sam, who was trying to cool Deeks down by putting the wet cloths on his pressure points while Kensi wiped his face.

Josh complied, then gave a worried shake of his head. "It's 72 over 44, Sam. Have you called an ambulance?"

"Yeah," Sam replied.

Callen interjected, "Hetty has Dr. Asana and a crew of doctors on standby. The ambulance is less than three minutes away."

"Good," said Josh. "Pressure this low could lead to heart or lung damage, kidney failure…" Callen put his hand on Josh's shoulder to silence him, seeing the look on Kensi's face as she fingered the beautiful engagement ring she had worn for less than 24 hours.

When the paramedics arrived, they took his vital signs, giving each other worried glances from opposite sides of the bed. They quickly got Deeks onto the gurney, strapped an oxygen mask over his head, and alerted the hospital to his condition. They hurried out, conveying the urgency of the situation by their demeanor. Kensi, Callen, and Sam followed closely, getting into Callen's car and following the ambulance.

When they arrived, Kensi had a sensation of déjà vu as she saw Hetty at the desk walking towards her with outstretched hands. This time, however, there was no declaration that Deeks was missing. This time, Hetty herself was in charge of assembling a medical team to take care of him. This time, there would be no double agents lurking in his hospital room, waiting for the opportunity to end his life, and no mystery to solve other than a medical one. Not surprisingly, none of this was any solace to the future Mrs. Deeks.

Kensi was surprised to see Nell and Eric there as well. The team had rarely been together since Deeks had gone into the hospital the first time. When Kensi had gone in to get a little work done, someone else from the team was usually with him. She had dreamed of the day Deeks could come back to work with them, and they could all be together again. Today, however, their presence amplified the feeling that she neglected to take his condition seriously. She felt guilty for falling asleep and not checking on him. Guilty for not insisting herself that he see the doctor. Sam could tell by her silence that she was overwhelmed by remorse, and he pulled her aside. "Kensi, focus on what you did. You had Kip call me to get Deeks to go to the doctor. You tried to let your man maintain a little of his dignity, knowing how he felt. This would have happened regardless. You know Dr. Asana is going to do her best."

Kensi nodded grimly, not trusting herself to speak. She valued Sam's opinion, but she was not letting herself off the hook that easily. When she could trust her voice not to break, she said, "I just wish I had realized how feverish he was when I walked through to take a shower. I just.." Sam cut her off with a hug.

"He didn't pass out until we got there. Chances are this was all very sudden. Guilt does you no good, and it does Marty no good. I would be honest with you and tell you if I thought you had a reason to be guilty." She sniffed and nodded, then grinned.

"You called him Marty."

"Don't tell anyone!" Sam smiled. "Hey, I'll go and call Kip. Tell him what's going on."

Hetty approached her as Sam walked away to make the call, and they sat down on a well-worn couch. "I was hoping we would never assemble under these circumstances again," said Hetty. Then, almost to herself she said, "I want my team back." She sounded so forlorn that Kensi wanted to comfort her somehow. She turned towards her with an apologetic expression that broke Hetty's heart even more. The older lady held her arms out, and Kensi gratefully accepted the invitation to be comforted by a rare hug from the team's unemotional matriarch.

Time passed slowly. Though Kensi insisted on being present after Deeks was rescued, she somehow felt it was best if she stayed out of the way now. Maybe she didn't want to hear anything negative the doctors may have to say, or be aware of any struggles it took to keep Marty alive. She just wanted to know one way or the other. Would he make it or not? Lost in thought, Kensi was unaware when a familiar nurse approached her.

"Kensi?"

Kensi looked for a moment, then recognized the young nurse who had sat at the desk in ICU at night during the time Deeks was there. She said, "Oh, Holly—hi."

"Please tell me there's not something wrong with Marty," she said.

"I'm afraid so," said Kensi, biting her lip. Nell was sitting with Kensi at the time, and didn't want her to get emotional again.

"Hi, Holly, I'm Nell," she said, offering her hand in a handshake, and ushering the young woman toward the doors to the treatment rooms. "We have been waiting for news on Marty for a few hours. Is there any way you could find out how he's doing? Anything at all would be helpful."

"I will see what I can do. Do you know who the attending physician is?"

"Dr. Asana," answered Nell.

"OK. If I am able to, I'll let you know. Um, Nell, what if it's bad news?"

Nell sighed, "Find me first."

"Find any of us first," interjected Eric, who had walked over as Nell talked with the nurse. He put his arm around Nell's shoulders and she leaned into him.

"Understood," said Holly, taking her leave.

Everyone was getting hungry, but no one wanted to leave before news of Marty's condition was revealed. Nell noticed Holly's face at the door, so she excused herself and followed Holly into the hall restroom. "I am watching the desk, so I can't go into the room as an attending nurse right now, but I can tell you who is in the room and what their specialties are," she offered.

"I take it that it's not good news, since you came to me first," surmised Nell.

"Well, their presence indicates problems, or at least concerns," she said. Nell nodded, and Holly continued. "Dr. Asana is there, but also there is a cardiologist, a pulmonary specialist, a kidney specialist, and a hematologist. There are orders for all sorts of blood work-ups from the lab, with a rush on them, and FFP—that's fresh frozen plasma-has been ordered and delivered twice."

"What do you think it could be?"

"I am really not supposed to diagnose." Nell raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips in a look that those close to her knew meant that she heard the objection but was not retracting her question. Holly must have sensed this as well, because after an uncomfortable pause she added, "My guess is that there is a delayed reaction to the transfusion he received. These are generally not too serious except for the indications for future transfusions, but occasionally they can be life-threatening."

"OK, and by the type of doctors present, I suspect the complications could include organ failure?" Holly nodded apologetically. "Thanks for letting me know."

When Nell came back to the waiting area, it was obvious to anyone looking at her that she was forcing a smile. Thankfully, Kensi was distracted by Kip's arrival, and everyone was glad to see he brought food with him.

Kip enveloped Kensi in a bear hug, lingering as they both gained control of their emotions. Callen and Sam walked up on either side of Kensi, each putting one arm around her and one around Kip, connecting them all in a sort of group hug. It was a reminder to Kensi of the level of support her team provided her, and of the even tighter bond Marty inspired in those he touched.

When they broke apart, Kip was introduced to Nell and Eric. He turned to the small woman beside Eric and said, "You must be Hetty."

"Yes, indeed," she said, shaking his hand warmly. This would not do for Kip, who drew her in for a hug.

"Ma'am, I don't know if you will ever know how much you mean to Marty. He considers you to be like a mother to the team, and he has so much respect for you. Seriously, I don't know where he'd be without you. You have been just what he needed." Hetty was obviously touched, removing her glasses and wiping them on her scarf.

"Well, Mr. Brigham, he was just what we—I—needed as well," remarked Hetty.

"Mr. Brigham? He said you'd call me that if we ever met! I guess he know you pretty well." Hetty sighed, hoping she and Mr. Deeks would be able to continue their relationship.

Everyone sat down and ate the hamburgers Kip had brought, making it hard for Nell to pull one of the team members aside to discuss what she had learned from Holly. However, just as most of them were finishing, the doors swung open and Dr. Asana came out, looking weary. Sam and Kip, on either side of Kensi, each took one of her hands while Callen stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Hetty remained standing while Eric offered the doctor his chair, facing the group.

"Well, first of all, he is alive," she said, knowing instinctively that everyone needed to hear that. "He has had a delayed hemolytic reaction to the blood transfusion. This very often has no symptoms, but in rare cases it causes malaise, fever, jaundice, low blood pressure and low hemoglobin."

"Jaundice? That's why his skin was a funny color," said Callen. "Does that mean his liver is affected?" he asked, surprising Sam and himself with his medical knowledge.

"In his case, yes. Due to the low pressure, we have to be concerned about heart and lung damage, but the liver and kidneys, as blood filters, are also affected. We are giving him plasma and fluids to help establish a normal blood pressure and guard against organ damage, and we are conducting dialysis," she continued.

"Is he in kidney failure?" questioned Kensi.

"Partially," answered the doctor.

"Kidney failure?" echoed Kip. That must have been the reason his back was hurting when he talked to me this morning."

"Dr. Asana," asked Hetty, "what are his chances?"

"The good news is, we will know pretty soon if the treatments are working," she said, avoiding the question.

"How soon?" asked Kip.

"Within the next 12 hours," she answered. "You guys can come back, but only a couple at a time," she said. It was decided that Kensi and Kip would go back first, and they held hands and walked closely behind the doctor. This time, Marty did not look like he had been hit by a train. This time, no outward signs of trauma were visible. What they did see was his face, covered partially by an oxygen mask, looking swollen due to the liquids they were forcing into his system to increase his blood pressure. Several bags of fluids and plasma were attached to multiple needles in each hand, while the dialysis machine was attached to even more tubes to his arm. Kip could not understand how Marty could rest so peacefully with all the noise and lights in the room, but he was thankful given the back pain his friend was experiencing early in the morning when they talked. He could tell something was wrong with him then, but he had no idea how bad it was.

He reached out and put a hand on Marty's arm, saying, "We're here, Buddy. I am standing here with the prettiest woman in L.A., so you better wake up soon. I may have to tell her who really designed this engagement ring if you don't!" Kensi looked at him. "Well, he wanted to use sapphires, and I said, 'those aren't cornflower blue, Dummy!' I had the jeweler show him the tanzanite."

"Kip, you're such a romantic! When are you going to settle down? Marty and I will introduce you to a nice DEA agent when he gets better. We can double date!"

"Is she badass like you?" asked Kip.

"I'll let Deeks tell you all about her," smiled Kensi.

No one wanted Kensi to give up her spot next to Deeks, and no one was going to leave before the twelve hours were up. So, the team members each took turns sitting with her for an hour or so, praying for his recovery, fearing for the worst. The constant parade of specialists was both comforting and irritating. It made them aware of the excellent care he was receiving, but it made conversations awkward. Kensi herself was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof, jumping whenever a monitor went off, although these usually indicated a bag of fluids was nearing empty or that the dialysis cycle was complete. Just when she thought she had to get away from all the beeping, she heard an elated gasp from one of the nurses.

"Pressure's normal, doctor!" she announced.

The doctor nodded cautiously, then checked her tablet, on which an alarm had sounded to announce a lab result. "Hemoglobin is in the normal range, too," she said with a smile. "Fluid intake and urine output are in sync," she added, checking those notes.

Kensi stood up and faced the doctor, nudging Callen, who had dozed off in the other chair. "Does this mean he's going to be all right?" she asked hopefully.

"I am cautiously optimistic," began the weary doctor, "but if his body can maintain these levels on his own, then yes," she smiled. Kensi was so elated that she had to hug each doctor and nurse in turn, eliciting teary eyes from several.

"Thank you all for working so hard to save him!" she gushed. "He means the world to me! Do you think it's all right if I go and tell the others what you told me?" she asked Dr. Asana.

"Sure—just be sure they know he's still…" but Kensi had already gone out of the door.


	16. Chapter 16

It was almost irreverent: the hand slapping, high-fiving, fist pounding, and hugging that went on when Kensi brought the good news to the group who had gathered in the waiting room at 3 a.m. Then again, the nurses there were certainly relieved to witness joy rather than despair for a change. The few visitors holding their own vigils nearby may have felt a twinge of envy, but none of them would begrudge another family a reason to celebrate. Some of them even clapped, and all of them smiled and nodded, hoping to be the next group with cause to rejoice.

They finally disbanded to go home and get some rest around 4:00, with assurances from Hetty that they didn't need to come in until after lunch. Kensi planned to stay, of course, and Holly was there with a pillow and a blanket. Kensi looked up in surprise as she saw a couple of maintenance crewmembers bringing a recliner into Deeks' room.

"What's that for?" she asked, following them in.

"That's for you," called Holly from the desk in the center of the ward. Following the orderlies into the room, she saw Kip laid out in _her_ recliner.

"So that's where he went," she said. "I thought he went home!" She smiled from pure joy before giving in to pure exhaustion.

As the sky grew lighter, Marty's vital signs got stronger. Kensi woke up when Dr. Nixon came in and conferred with the nurses at shift change. She stood up so quickly that she became dizzy and lost her balance, grabbing for the nearest stable object she could find—Deeks' leg. He woke up with a start, jerking his arm and knocking over a cup of water that was a little too close on the nearby table. The water landed on Kip, causing him to squeal and jump up wiping his face. The whole group was shocked into silence for about three seconds before exploding into laughter.

"Man, why do you want to go and throw water on me just because I slept with your fiancée last night?" quipped Kip.

"The three of us slept together last night? Check ménage a trois off my list. I always imagined it with two girls, though." Deeks grinned, winking at Kensi. These were first words he had spoken in more than twenty-four hours. It was hard to doubt that he was on the road to recovery after that. Kensi couldn't remember Deeks making jokes in quite some time, and relief flooded her.

"And just like that—he's back!" Kensi said, grabbing his hand and thrilling at the sound of his laughter. Dr. Nixon shooed Kensi and Kip out of the room, and for once Kensi did not object. The feeling she had been carrying around that if she took her eyes off of him for long, he would slip away from her was finally subsiding. Even though he had just regained consciousness, the hue of his skin and the clarity in his eyes put her at ease.

When the examination was over, Dr. Nixon stepped out of the room to find Kensi and Kip. Neither of them could help but notice the stoic doctor was wearing a wide smile. "I have to tell you, that when I think back to the shape Marty was in several weeks ago and his condition yesterday, I was trying to console myself to the fact that we could learn a lot from his case that might help someone in the future, but that he wouldn't survive. I think now that we figured out the blood problem, there is nothing standing in his way to a full recovery."

Kensi, noting the difference from the guardedly optimistic message the doctors had given during Marty's last recovery, thought her heart would burst from happiness. "What about the wound on his leg, Dr. Nixon? Do you think it will ever heal completely?"

"Actual healing should accelerate now that we have the blood problem figured out. As far as regaining muscle strength, that could be tricky. He may be able to compensate for the muscle mass that he lost and walk with a normal gait, but you can't put back what was taken away." He pointed to Kensi's ring, saying, "He told me you two became engaged. He will certainly have no shortage of motivation!"

Kensi asked Kip to let her go in to Marty's room alone for a minute once the doctor had left. She walked over to him quickly, both wearing ridiculous grins, although she was trying to appear stern. "Martin Andrew Deeks," she began, her hands on her hips as she stood near him. Her expression softened as he scooted over in the bed and patted the empty space for her to sit down. She angled herself to face him, and then put a hand on either side of his shoulders so she could lean in close to his face. "Martin Andrew Deeks, don't you Ever, _kiss,_ Ever, _kiss,_ Ever _kiss,_ hide the fact that you aren't feeling well from me." She finished, her statement, then laid her head in the space beside his neck. "What if you had died, Marty? I would have felt it was my fault! Kip had to call Sam and Callen to come over and make you go to the doctor, and by the time they got there, you were in bad shape. Promise me you won't do that to me again," she finished.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he said softly, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it. "I have a feeling I will be saying that a lot in the future! How do you think Mrs. Deeks will feel about make-up sex?"

"I think Mrs. Deeks won't need an excuse to pleasure her husband and herself, and will do so at every opportunity," she finished, running her tongue down the length of his neck.

"Well, we now know _that_ part works," he grinned, lifting the sheet away. "See what effect you have on me, Nurse Kensi?"

"Dr. Kensi," she corrected. "I'll be back to examine you later," she said, pushing herself up as Kip knocked on the door. Kensi grabbed an extra pillow and threw it to Deeks so he could cover up his arousal, then rolled the tray table over him for good measure.

"Marty-Mar! Your eyes sure are a sight for sore eyes," he laughed, coming over and hugging Deeks. "You make me look like a bad host if you get sick at my house," he scolded.

"Kensi has already scolded me," said Deeks, "although it didn't have quite the same effect coming from you," he winked at Kensi. "But, you heard the doc—I am on the mend for real! Sorry to say, Kipster, but as soon as I am able to walk with a cane, Kens and I will no longer be infringing on your hospitality. You're the best, Buddy. I really can't thank you enough."

"Well hold on there—not so fast. That will be a couple of weeks at least, I bet. I have one last grand gesture to make. I want to throw you two an engagement party."

Kensi said, "Wow, Kip, you've done so much already! That's too much to ask."

"You didn't ask, and I insist. I have some public appearances over the next couple week or so before basketball practice starts up, so when I get back this will be one of my last excursions into party town before I have to get serious."

"Oh my gosh, that's wonderful!" Kensi exclaimed, giving him a hug.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The entire staff of the second floor was abuzz with news of the speedy recovery of Marty Deeks over the next few days. This time, there was no memory loss. This time, Deeks did not seem to have a pronounced distrust of doctors. This time, no one expected to see him back.

Getting back into physical therapy, Josh was able to tell a difference right away in Marty's stamina and energy. He was able to begin walking with a cane in a few days, only depending on the wheelchair for longer outings or when he got tired. Despite his protests, Kensi now had a handicapped tag hanging from the rearview mirror. When she used it to park close to the beach, however, he decided it was not such a bad thing after all. Sitting on a blanket with Kensi and Monty, feeling the breeze and the sting of the sand it carried both invigorated and motivated him. A walk to the surf was splendid if slow, with his bare feet feeling at home for the first time in a month. The walk back almost proved to be too much, with the cane sinking in the sand, and he was grateful Kensi could make a short jaunt to her car and get the wheelchair.

"Soon, Babe," she promised him as she pushed the special chair with wide beach tires that she had rented as a surprise. "Soon you'll be able to leave this behind and walk all day if you want to." He reached behind him and covered her hand with his wordlessly as they headed back to Kip's.

This particular evening was one of Kip's public appearances, and the pair had the large house to themselves. After a light supper, they were enjoying the sunset from a single lounge chair beside the pool. They lay facing each other. Marty's broken arm had healed, and was now out of the cast. He said, "This hand has to make up for lost time. It didn't get to touch you for over a month." He was trailing his fingers along the curve of her hip and waist, up her ribcage to the swell of her breast, the thin fabric of her shirt offering only a whisper of coverage. She sat up momentarily, drawing the shirt up and over her head, letting it drop to the concrete below. She said nothing, but lay back down. His fingers continued their sojourn across her curves, eliciting a shiver and a small, sweet smile.

"That tickles," she breathed, closing her eyes.

"I have an idea," he said, sitting up and taking his shirt off. "What if we make use of Kip's facilities and get in the pool? The doctor said my leg is healed enough, and I know it's good exercise."

"I'll run and get our suits," said Kensi brightly, getting up.

Marty grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him as he stood up. He pressed his hips toward her, letting her feel his need for her already. "You know, as much as I love the sight of you in a bikini—and I do—I was thinking I'd like to see you, um naked, in the blushing hues of this glorious sunset." He punctuated his request with kisses to her neck and shoulders as he brushed her hair back.

Kensi sighed happily. "Blushing hues of this glorious sunset—are you becoming a poet? Because if you are, you need to know that I'm a Dr. Seuss girl myself."

He cleared his throat and hesitated for only a second before beginning, "I would so like it on a bus. I'd like for you to make a fuss. I would so like it in a tree. I want you to make love to me," he reached behind her and smoothly unhooked her bra, letting it fall from her shoulders. He caressed her breasts, then unfastened and unzipped her shorts. "I would so like it in the pool. I love you so—I am your fool!" he finished, pulling her shorts and panties down in one motion.

"Oh, Doctor!" she breathed, sliding his shorts down so they joined the growing pile of clothes at their feet. She walked backwards toward the pool, letting him use her for support instead of his cane. The breeze around their naked bodies was exhilarating, and she stepped carefully down the gradual sloping end of the pool. Once supported by the water, Marty felt free and strong. He lifted her so that her breasts were level with his mouth, and he tasted each one, concentrating on the sensitive nipples, before sliding her down so that their faces were at the same level. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him deeply, her hands catching in his hair.

They took their kiss underwater, thrilling at the sensations that the cool water brought to their senses. When they broke the surface, Marty walked back toward the shallow end, this time setting Kensi out of the pool on to the side. On his knees, his head was level with the side of the pool. She parted her knees, and he moved between her thighs, pulling her to the edge of the pool. Her passion did not hold out for long as he used his tongue and hands to bring her the most exquisite pleasure. She screamed his name and her climax brought him unimaginable pleasure.

When she was able to breathe normally again, Kensi took Marty's hand and led him out of the pool, turning him around to lie back on the lounge chair. She stood back and looked at him, feasting her eyes on the man she actually got to spend the rest of her life with, and happiness ignited her passion once again. "Just look at you, Deeks! You are so gorgeous! And the best part is, I get to keep you." Her sweet, sincere words touched Marty deeply.

"My God, Kensi, I love you so much," he said, reaching for her.

Kensi straddled the lounge chair and lowered herself on him. It both frustrated and excited him that she was in control of the pace, and her wicked smile let him know that she relished that power. Soon, however, she lay all the way down on top of him, her breasts pressed against his sculpted chest as he held her tightly until his own shuddering was spent. "I do so like it in this chair. I like it with you anywhere," she smiled. Marty laughed heartily and felt certain he was the luckiest guy on the planet.

After an invigorating weekend, Deeks decided to go to the mission and see if he could occupy himself there. He was ready to do something other than go to physical therapy and sleep. He needed his brain to be engaged to feel as though he could still be useful, rather than feel he was being taken care of all the time. He didn't want Kensi to let anyone know he was coming so there would be no fanfare.

When he walked in, he stopped for a moment and took in the sight and aroma of the place. Yes, he had missed it tremendously. Callen and Sam were headed up from the gym after a morning sparring session, and Callen stopped drying his hair with a towel when he saw Deeks at the desk he and Sam shared.

They saw Deeks several times a week, so it wasn't that kind of reunion. Callen and Sam had both been afraid that Deeks would never return to NCIS, however. They didn't even discuss it with him, because they didn't want to hear what he might say. Now they realized how much they had missed having him here by how happy it made them to see him back. Kensi smiled smugly when they walked up, feeling like she and Deeks had been voted prom queen and king. She was happy for herself, happy for Marty, and happy for the team. Hell, she was just plain happy.

Granger, who had been filling in for Deeks a good bit, was short tempered this morning for some reason. He said to Marty, "Nice to see you back, kid, but I hope you're not just here for attaboys. We have real cases to solve." He walked by quickly to go to Hetty's desk, and the two could be heard disagreeing with one another. It was obvious Granger did not want the team to know something, so naturally they moved closer to listen.

"It's not right, Owen," Hetty fumed. "They have a right to know."

"I know you, Henrietta, and when you say that, you mean they have a right to voice their opinions and make decisions, and they do not."

"But they are directly involved in this case. When you were poisoned, every one of them worked…"

"I hope you are not implying that I did not do my best to rescue Deeks! I even took orders from Callen so you couldn't say I wasn't playing nicely."

"I'm not implying that at all. You were such a great help, and I can't imagine why you would not want to offer protection…"

"One agency cannot be pitted against another, Henrietta. We have orders from SecNav."

"We always have orders from SecNav, and as far as they know, we have always followed them. I am just saying, Owen, that we should let the people most closely related to this case in on some of the details and developments."

"Well, all I can say is that when I get back from the conference in Portland in thirty-six hours, there better be no sign of any failure to comply with the wishes of SecNav." With that, he strode passed the group, winking almost imperceptibly at Kensi.

"Did he just…? Did you just see..?" stammered Deeks. "Cause I'm pretty sure that he-"

Just then, Eric blew a note on a conch shell, beckoning them to come to ops. Only this time, he was not on the landing above the team, but behind them, in an elevator that no one except Hetty was allowed to use. "Your elevatorial chariot awaits," he said with a smile.

Sam grinned as the whole team pushed into the space, "Pretty sure elevatorial is not a word, Beale. Hey, wait, where's Deeks?" While Sam, Callen, and Kensi had been nonchalantly entering the elevator, so Deeks wouldn't feel self-conscious for needing to ride it, Deeks himself had been climbing the stairs. By the time Sam noticed he wasn't with them, Deeks was halfway to the landing. He would grab the railing on both sides, using his long arms to reach a couple of steps ahead, and then pull himself up with his upper body strength.

"Pretty impressive," said Callen, "but I just worked out—I'm still taking the elevator."

Upstairs Hetty laughed, "Oh, Mr. Deeks we have surely missed you!"

Deeks did accept the use of a chair when he made it to the top of the stairs, but mostly so he could ask the expected "What took you so long?" when the rest of the team got off the elevator.

"Miss Jones, fill us all in," Hetty requested, as if she did not know what the op entailed.

"Gee, Hetty, we were kind of hoping to get more reunion time!" chided Callen.

"I have a bottle of very old scotch which promises to make the reunion legendary, Mr. Callen, but now there is a matter which demands our attention. When you are made fully aware of the situation, you'll see it was fortuitous that Mr. Deeks picked today to grace us with his presence."

Nell showed a video of the parking lot outside of the mall. "Yesterday evening, Dr. Carol Stevens parked her white Lexus here," she said, drawing a circle around the car with her finger. "At approximately 7:57 pm, someone broke into the car."

"Wait," interrupted Sam. "Do you mean the Dr. Stevens who went with us to rescue Deeks?" Deeks raised his eyebrows in surprise while Kensi put her arm protectively on his shoulder.

"That's affirmative," acknowledged Nell. "The would-be car jacker got quite a surprise. Just keep watching." The figure in the dark jeans and hoodie managed to open the door quickly, then slid inside the vehicle. He or she leaned down out of sight for a few seconds and then the engine roared to life. Simultaneously, the vehicle was engulfed in flames, exploding the gas tank and sending chunks of metal into the air. The team, who had leaned close to make out the grainy images, flinched in unison.

"So, that explosion was meant for the good doctor," said Callen.

Kensi muttered "Humph!" at the term.

"It seems so," continued Nell.

Eric picked the story up from there. "Dr. Stevens saw the explosion from the store, where she was just about to leave and head towards her car." He showed surveillance footage from the store of a shocked woman trying to cover her face and hurry back toward the center of the mall. "She used a phone in one of the stores to call a cab, and went to a pay phone and called Hetty."

"Let me guess," said Sam, "she's in the boatshed."

"I went by and picked her up on my way home last night," confirmed Hetty.

"I don't want anything to do with this," said Kensi. "Not after what she did."

"I rather thought you might feel that way, Agent Blye, but who among us in this room hasn't done something for the good of an op or the team or the country that the general population would find reprehensible? Are there things you wouldn't want your neighbors to know? Your mother?" She paused, seeing no response from Kensi, so she pressed on. " Mr. Deeks?" Kensi shot Hetty an icy glance and strode out of ops.

"Hetty, don't you think you're being a little rough on her?" asked Deeks quietly. "I take it this has something to do with my situation, and I must admit, it has taken a toll on Kensi. Maybe you should fill me in. Nell, um, could you go and…"

"Look after Kensi—sure, Marty."

Callen said, "Deeks, some of this may be hard to hear. I know Kensi told you a little about it. The biochemical you were injected with was produced here. In the U.S. By four doctors working for the CIA. Stevens was one of them." Deeks rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"I see," he began, clearing his throat. "Was I the intended target all along? Is there a reason the CIA wanted me dead?"

"No, not at all, Mr. Deeks, not at all. The idea was to use the chemical to manipulate double agents into giving up information, or to make them compliant for other purposes. The biochemical had viruses that could be released on demand, and it could control organ function due to a magnetic component that could be controlled by a computer chip," Hetty explained.

"Two of the doctors got greedy, duplicated the chemical, and sold it on a black market website. The Chinese bought it, but no antidote existed for it yet. They wanted to inject it into an American so that we would be forced to turn over the antidote or risk exposure," explained Eric.

"Dr. Stevens was one of the first doctors recruited by the CIA to create this chemical," continued Callen. "She eventually had some ethical objections, especially after the viruses were introduced. The chemical was at least a year away from being ready. She felt really bad about what happened to you. She did go with us to rescue you, and she even hooked you and Sam together for a little blood transfusion in the helicopter."

"Wait, wait, so Sam gave me some blood? Why did I need blood before I even got back to the hospital?"

The group looked at each other, realizing how hard this would be for Marty to hear. Finally, as leader, Hetty knew it was up to her. "Ah, well, Mr. Deeks, before leaving the ship you were being held on, the operatives hired by the Chinese started draining your blood so no evidence of the chemical would exist." Deeks looked shocked.

"They were draining it through a tube that they ran to a drainage hole on the side of the ship." Sam closed his eyes and could see the scene as it had unfolded several weeks ago. "As the helicopter approached the ship, we could see blood—your blood—streaming down the side of the ship."

Marty looked stupefied. "Oh, poor Kensi," he said. "That must have been awful for her."

Hetty sighed, "Yes, Mr. Deeks, it was hard on us all, but I suspect that for Kensi it was exponentially more so. When the CIA offered to send some specialists to help figure out an antidote and rescue you, we did not know they were the ones who had made it or where it was made."

"Kensi is the one who figured out that Dr. Stevens was involved. It was hard for her to accept the doctor's help, but she was instrumental in figuring out how to save your life," Callen added. "You had to have a total exchange transfusion. They had to replace all of your blood with fresh blood to rid your system of the chemical. There is no antidote."

"And now, Dr. Stevens is sure the CIA is behind this attempt on her life," said Hetty. She is asking us to protect her and help her disappear."

"So, it's up to us? I mean, that's what you implied to Granger, isn't it?" asked Callen.

Hetty pulled herself up to her full height of 4 feet 9 inches. "I'd still like to think that I am in charge around here, Mr. Callen. It would be most helpful if the members of this team could evaluate the plausibility of such an operation, if it's not too much trouble. But the actual decision as to whether or not to help at all has been made."

"And if I heard Granger right, we have thirty-six hours," said Sam. He put his hand on Deeks' shoulder. "G and I will take this, Deeks. You and Kensi should probably sit this one out."

"Like hell!" answered Deeks. "You guys can go on ahead if you want, but after I talk with Kensi, I want to sit across the table from this woman. I think I deserve that shot, don't you?"


	17. Chapter 17

Sam turned and looked at Callen, his hand still on Deeks' shoulder. "What do you think, G? If he's up to it, I think he has earned the right to sit across the table from Dr. Stevens."

Callen nodded. "There's no one who deserves it more. Just make sure you don't blow your stack. Get familiar with the facts first. Sam and I will leave now, and we'll see you in a little while."

Both Sam and Callen grasped Deeks' hand on the way out, telling him how glad they were that he was back. When they were gone, Marty sat back and stroked his chin. He looked up at Eric, who was frozen, trying not to break Deeks' concentration. "I have no idea what to say to her. It's a little terrifying."

"I can't imagine what I'd say to Dr. Stevens if I were in your place," acknowledged Eric.

"Dr. Stevens? No, I mean Kensi!" Deeks rose from the chair, grabbed the cane, and walked to the elevator. Eric winced at his limp, hoping Deeks didn't see it. "Hell hath no fury like a woman who knows that another woman is the cause of her partner's pronounced limp," he remarked. "…and she is a trained sniper."

As the elevator doors closed, Eric piped up, "I wouldn't want her mad at me! Like, ever."

Deeks figured he'd find Kensi in the gymnasium downstairs, and he was right. She was suspended from the ceiling from a harness while she tried to break the record for the fastest climb up the rock wall—currently belonging to Hetty. "This is her third time," said Nell with raised eyebrows, holding the rope. Kensi was concentrating on the top, and hadn't even noticed Deeks when he came in. He held a finger to his lips to hush Nell, and then took rope from her. Kensi reached the top, then started rappelling down, jerking the rope so hard that Marty lost his balance and fell down, losing his grip and nearly causing Kensi to freefall. Luckily, she had remembered her gloves, and was able to grab both ropes and slow her descent without tearing skin off of her hands.

When she reached the bottom, she quickly unhooked her harness and went to him. "Marty, are you—"

He reached up and flipped her across his body and onto her back. "Hey," she fussed, "not funny!" but they both ended up laughing. "So? I know you didn't come down here to spot me. Are you coming to tell me that you're going to see that heinous woman?" Kensi had rolled on her side and propped herself up on one elbow, facing him.

"Kensi, let me explain. I understand the way _you_ feel, and I appreciate it, too. I really don't know how _I_ feel, though. It's kind of weird, with everyone knowing about things that happened to me that I don't remember. For some reason, I want to look her in the face."

"What kind of a doctor invents a chemical to hurt people, Deeks? Whether she had you in mind for the target, or some criminal, or a double agent-how can she do that? She's no better than the maniacs who spray sarin on school children in Syria. How can we protect someone like that? Why do you want to meet her? I don't want you anywhere near her! What if she tries to finish what she started?" Kensi and Marty had both risen to their feet. Kensi's voice grew higher and more frantic with every sentence she uttered, hoping that Deeks would interrupt her and tell her he would not go after all.

Marty shushed her and pulled her close, but she walked away. He shook his head and picked up the cane to leave, when Kensi appeared from around the corner with two folding chairs for them to sit in. Once seated, she took his hands in hers. "Look," she began, having to stop and collect herself. "I think you are perfect. I don't want you to think that I feel like you are damaged or-or broken. But, you wouldn't need this chair or this cane if not for that woman. You are a such a good person," she whispered, reaching up to touch his cheek, "and you might be able to forgive her. Maybe one day I can, too. But not now. And I am not so sure she isn't still a threat. Please let Sam and Callen handle this. I don't even want to know if she is protected or where she goes."

"Kensi, I have to do this. I have to face her. If she is a decent person who regrets what she created, she can see that I am down but not out. If she's evil, she can see that she didn't win—I _will_ be back to normal soon, and she failed. I don't want to do something that hurts you or to ignore your feelings, but I just feel like I have to. OK, Partner?"

Kensi sighed deeply and shook her head. "I guess I knew all along that you would want to go through with this. All right, but you will have to smell my B.O. because I am not taking a shower for her. And I am stopping for a donut—two. And I am staying in the car.'

Marty stood up and pulled her to him. "Have I ever told you that if I could change one thing about you - I wouldn't? You are so perfect," and he punctuated his point with the perfect kiss.

True to her word, Kensi sat with two cinnamon cake donuts and a half pint of skim milk in the car next to the boatshed while Deeks went inside, leaving the car running so she could enjoy the air conditioner, and insisting Deeks buy her next tank of gas. The sugary treat did little to calm her nerves as she watched him walk into the boatshed for the first time in over a month.

Callen and Sam were waiting for him, having just finished talking to Dr. Stevens. Callen pulled a chair up to the table for Deeks, where they could see Dr. Stevens on the monitor as she sat in the interrogation room. Deeks nodded towards her, "What does she say?"

"Well, she's scared," Callen surmised.

"And it sounds like she needs to be," Sam added. The other doctors on the CIA team with her have disappeared."

"Has the CIA investigated? Do they suspect foul play?" asked Deeks.

Callen looked at Deeks steadily. "One of the doctors tried to inject your IV with something that would have caused a fatal blood clot, but I stopped him. Another of the doctors attacked Kensi and Nell, and attempted to sedate them long enough to get to you. Both doctors were taken into custody by the CIA and no one can find a record that either even existed."

Marty let out a long breath. "Wow. This keeps getting better and better. What else are you guys keeping from me? Why hasn't Kensi told me?" his anger flashed, and he hit the table with his fist.

"Deeks, there's no protocol for handling something like this. No one knows how much you want to know, or how much you need to know. Least of all Kensi. We aren't necessarily trying to keep you in the dark or holding back because we think you can't handle it. _We can't handle it._ We don't want to think about it. We watched your heart stop twice in twenty-four hours, and saw your blood being drained out of your body. And all the time knowing you had sacrificed yourself for the team." Sam's intensity took Marty aback almost as much as the words he has spoken.

"You mean because I made myself an easy target? I may need a refresher course in trade craft guys, because I might as well have had a sign on my back saying, 'take me'…" Something in that phrase struck a chord, and Marty raised his eyebrows and stopped mid-sentence as he tried to latch onto of a fleeting memory that kept slipping away like a fish taking the worm but not biting the hook. He shook his head as the fish swam away. "I want to talk to her. Can you two go sit with Kensi and give me a few minutes of privacy?" They nodded and left.

Marty stood with his hand on the door of the interrogation room, still grappling with the new information that had come to light. He was very weary of the whole ordeal. He wanted to leave the cane behind and saunter into the room, but the day had gone longer than expected, and he was beginning to feel the familiar soreness that meant he had done too much. He opened the door and walked in, not comfortable looking at the doctor as he did so, and trying very hard not to let the cane make too much noise on the wooden floor. He sat down hard on the chair opposite the older woman, finally raising his piercing blue eyes to meet her dull gray ones.

Her hand immediately flew to her mouth despite her resolve to remain distant and professional, and Marty saw that her hand was shaking. "Oh," she whispered, "I was afraid I'd see you! I am so, so sorry, Detective Deeks!" Bright tears filled her eyes, causing Marty to lose some of his resolve to be hard on her. "You look so much better than the last time I saw you," she said.

Not sure what made him do so, Marty rose from his chair and turned his back on the doctor. Then he grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and raised it up over his shoulders, exposing his scarred back.

"I may look better than when you last saw me, but I will never look the same again." He readjusted his shirt, turning around and brushing aside the hair from his forehead, revealing the scar from his head wound. She scanned his body, noticing how pale his left arm was compared to the right one, and how the jeans on his left thigh seemed looser than on his right.

"I didn't mean to trivialize your injuries," she managed to say. Her throat seemed so dry. "I'm just glad that you're…that you're not dead." She cried in earnest now, and Deeks brought out a box of tissues. She gratefully took one.

"I can't decide if I want to pat your back or punch you," he said, setting a trashcan under the table. "I just can't understand how a doctor could create something that could do all this," he said, gesturing up and down his body with his free hand.

"My husband was an agent—CIA," she said. "His name was Li Shen. He was on an assignment deep in the Chinese government."

"A double agent?" asked Deeks.

"That's what the Chinese thought, but he was red, white, and blue to the core. Born in Pasadena. He was caught and tortured for information in China, although they tried to blame the North Koreans. He died on the flight to the U.S. after he was rescued."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Deeks said quietly.

"When the CIA asked me to help develop a biochemical to use on foreign agents, I thought 'Why not?' It would be more humane that what they did to my husband. I planned to make it totally reversible—leaving no lasting damage. How ironic that Stone and Thompson ended up selling to the Chinese."

"What went wrong? With the chemical, I mean. Why wasn't it totally reversible like you planned?" asked Marty. "I mean, I have been through hell, at least what I can remember. My team, my friends, my…Kensi," he said, "have been through hell, too. I can't go for a run on the beach with her or surf…"his voice trailed off, and he wished he could have maintained more anger, like he planned.

"The agency brought in Dr. Thompson because they wanted to include viruses into the chemical. There wasn't time to test it or time to develop the antidote before we realized there had been a breach, and before anyone could sort through the finger pointing, we got word that an American agent in California had been injected with it. No one was sure who had removed the vials until Thompson and Stone both went after you in the hospital."

"Do you think the Chinese or the CIA wants you dead?" Deeks asked her.

"I'm not sure. It could be either. When Agent Callen apprehended Thompson in your hospital room, he told Callen that he was 'dead anyway.' He was right. If the Chinese got to him, the CIA is covering it up to avoid a scandal. If the agency took him out, they'd never admit it." She bit her lip. "I know that you have every right to want to see me come to a nasty end. But I don't think that's the kind of person you are. Your director said that whether or not they help me is up to you. You're my last hope."

Deeks blew out the breath he had been holding since coming in here. "Well, then, it's simple. Of course we'll help. I'll send the word." With that he strode out of the room as quickly as he could, not wanting her to thank him. He just couldn't sentence her to certain death. Having that on his conscious would weigh on him tremendously, and he didn't require thanks for it.

Sam and Callen nodded at him as he walked passed. They could tell how tired he was, and they understood his need to get out of there and back to Kensi. As he approached her car, he could see her singing with the radio and bobbing her head to the beat. He felt instantly playful and got out his phone so he could record the sight. At first, he imagined sending the video to Nell so it could be shown in ops, but thought better of it. This would be a gem to keep hidden away. He may need to look at it one day when he needed to smile.

When he entered the car, she surprised him by continuing to sing. Maybe she had been aware of him watching all along. In reality, she knew he had just finished a difficult interview, and he could use a little fun to lighten the moment. She knew without asking that he had helped the doctor. Of course he did. As mad as she had been earlier, she would have been truly surprised and possibly even disappointed if he hadn't helped.

He started to sing along, too, and they both held up straws like microphones. When the song ended, she simply put the car in drive and headed to Kip's. She asked him nothing. Despite the fun of their impromptu duet, he started sagging again, and was asleep before they had gone very far. "How long?" Kensi wondered to herself. "How long before he is totally healed?" She reached over and touched his cheek to wake him when they arrived, knowing it didn't matter how long.

That weekend, Kip invited the team to a cookout around his pool. He had become friends with Callen and Sam, and he loved to entertain. On a whim, Kensi had invited Talia, figuring that like most federal agents, she didn't get many invites. Maybe if she could get Talia interested in Kip…

"Knock, knock. Is there where all the inept NCIS agents end up? You should all join the DEA where it's safer!" Talia came in wearing a beautiful sarong that covered a teeny bikini. Kensi just rolled her eyes.

As Talia hugged Deeks, Kensi pointed at her back, mouthing to Kip, _THIS IS THE ONE_.

Kip raised his eyebrows in response and mouthed _IS SHE BADASS LIKE YOU?_

By this time, Talia had turned around, and she and Deeks were watching the exchange. "Really, you two? No wonder you get along. You're just alike," said Deeks.

"Well," countered Talia, "maybe they're not _just_ alike," and she shook Kip's hand. _SHE'S SO PRETTY!_ He mouthed to Deeks with a big, goofy smile on his face.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two weeks later, a crew spent the day at Kip's place, stringing twinkling blue lights, placing tables and chairs and a bandstand near the pool. The resulting transformation rivaled any event hall in Los Angeles—at least the smaller, more intimate ones. A chef and his team prepared a delicious meal. The guests arrived. It couldn't have been more perfect. And then it was.

The team, except for Kensi and Deeks, rose and met on the bandstand facing the couple they were here to celebrate. Deeks assumed they were going to toast them, and his heart was warmed. What he heard, however, was nothing he could have ever imagined.

Nell cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and began. "Martin Andrew Deeks- _Never has there been a more genuine con man. Deeks conned us into thinking he is self-absorbed. But he is the first to notice if someone needs reassurance, or a donut, or a joke, or a loan. Deeks conned us into thinking he was a screw-up who got no respect at LAPD. In truth, he had more collars than anyone in the unit, and was often sought out for legal advice prior to arrests being made."_

Marty shook his head, feeling uncomfortable at this much attention, and the sincerity glistening in Nell's eyes as she spoke. Kensi leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Eric stepped up next, and slipped his hand into Nell's, handing her a tissue from his pocket with his other hand. _"That's right, Nell_. _Marty Deeks conned us all into thinking he was a beach boy bubble headed surfer dude who followed the zodiac and ate cronuts. Well, those things are true. But, what we didn't realize at first was that he passed the California bar exam on his first try, and was the youngest person ever offered a partnership at one of L.A.'s most distinguished law firms. He also happens to be an astute investor with interest in several brilliant projects that have yet to get off the ground—but they will!"_

Everyone laughed. When he saw Callen stepping up, Deeks was sure a more traditional toast would follow. After all, Callen had never shown much more than tolerance for him, and never any hint of an emotional attachment.

Callen, however, had to clear his throat and stand there for several seconds before beginning. " _Deeks conned me into thinking that he never took anything seriously and was always looking for a laugh. He only seemed to focus on making a joke rather than on the details of a case. I was so wrong. He was genuinely listening, genuinely analyzing, and genuinely solving cases without fanfare. His casual demeanor is his biggest con yet, because he is a seriously good detective, a seriously good man, and a seriously good friend. We would allow nothing less for our best girl's best guy."_

No one was laughing now, and Hetty thought her heart would explode with joy. She always wanted her team to support each other and show genuine affection for one another. Granger tried to look unshaken, but emotion was visible on everyone's faces. Talia, sitting next to Kip at Kensi and Deeks' table, finally handed him the box of tissues. His affection for his friend was one of her favorite things she had discovered about him in the two weeks they had been getting to know one another-and that was saying something.

Deeks himself was glad to hear these sentiments, yet he was hoping they would end soon before he became a blubbering idiot.

Sam, looking dapper in his suit, stood there as Callen had for a moment and collected himself. " _Deeks conned me into thinking he had no self-respect, and no respect for his fellow agents or his country. He seemed like the kind of guy who wanted to make light of a situation, and then get out unscathed. He only cared about himself, I thought. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I have seen Marty Deeks lay his life down for a friend, and there is no greater love than that. I have seen him maintain an identity through ridicule, torture, and temptation. He is genuinely selfless. They say that actions speak louder than words, and Marty, man, your actions are deafening."_

The first time. The first time Sam had ever called him by his first name—while he was conscious, at least. Sam's statement truly rocked Marty to his core, so long had he wanted approval from this man he respected so much. Even Granger was not able to hold out after Sam's speech, and tried to wipe away his tears before Hetty noticed. But he couldn't.

Just when Deeks didn't think he could take any more, Kip stood up and walked to the bandstand to join the team, blowing his nose noisily and adding some much needed comic relief.

He grabbed the mike and said, " _Marty-Mar, I don't know what I am supposed to say after all this! Man, your head is big enough! What strikes me is that it took these folks so long to figure out what I knew that first day in middle school when your scrawny ass took a swing at the biggest dude in the gym because he was using my head for dodge ball practice. Then, you challenged him to a game of one-on-one, beat him, and shook his hand. That sums you up! Man, I have what I have because of….well because I did have a phenomenal growth spurt—but you gave me what I needed most. You gave me hope, man, and a friend. Here's to you."_

Everyone lifted their glasses in toast and drank. The team all came over to their table and hugs were abundant and long. Marty thanked each one of them, clearly touched by their words. Then he and Kensi made their way to the bandstand.

"This is a special night, and we can't thank you all enough for coming to help us celebrate our engagement. Kensi and I have a couple of surprises for you. There's really no band!" Everyone laughed.

Kensi said, "I have something to say to you all," she said, gesturing toward the tables, "and to you," she turned to face Marty. He looked at her, the surprise evident on his face. She held a shaking hand to her mouth as she tried to speak without her voice breaking. " _Deeks, you tried to con me into thinking you are a ladies' man, a skirt chaser. You seemed like the kind of guy who would love 'em and leave 'em, and I thought I wanted no part of that. Now I know what you really are. You are a beacon leading me home when I am lost. You are an anchor, letting me float freely but not letting me get carried away in a storm. You are my love."_

She turned to the guests and said, "Tonight, he will become my husband!"

Marty kissed her cheek and said to the guests, "That's the other surprise. This isn't just our engagement party—it's our wedding!" The guests all cheered, whooped, whistled, and hugged one another. Kensi enlisted Talia, Nell, and her mother to help her change.

A waiter brought a special tray of drinks to Marty and the team as they waited for a cue to begin. Marty said, "Thanks a lot, I think I'll take all of these!" and turned to rejoin the conversation at the table.

The waiter said, "Never shoot back."

Marty stopped mid-mouthful and said without turning around, "Always shoot first." Then he did turn and the two old friends embraced before sitting down together. "Man," said Marty, "after I called to tell you about me and Kensi, I thought that was the last time I'd ever get to talk to you." He looked at Ray and wondered how he didn't recognize him, even with the conservative haircut, colored contacts, and new hair color.

"I know, but then Hetty called me."

"Really?" asked Deeks, meeting Hetty's eyes across the tables, and raising his glass to her.

"Yeah, she said you and Wikipedia shouldn't get married without your oldest friend around," he smiled.

"No way! How did she know? It was supposed to be a surprise!"

"I've heard she's a pretty astute investigator," answered Ray.

Julia appeared, and motioned to Marty. He grabbed a guitar and walked up to the microphone. No one was surprised to hear him play beautifully as he began a familiar James Taylor tune. Kensi appeared with her hair swept up, a few tendrils framing her face. She wore a simple strapless white dress with a sash of cornflower blue, and the most perfect smile. She never felt her feet on the ground as she made her way towards the man for whom she would sacrifice anything.

(Author's note: play it and imagine it!  watch?v=YoevtZiVR4k )

 _There's something in the way she moves,_

 _or looks my way, or calls my name_

 _That seems to leave this troubled world behind._

 _And if I'm feeling down and blue,_

 _or troubled by some foolish game_

 _She always seems to make me change my mind._

 _And I feel fine anytime she's around me now_

 _And she's around me now almost all the time_

 _And if I'm well you can tell she's been with me now_

 _And she's been with me now quite a long, long time_

 _Yes, and I feel fine._


End file.
